Tie it up! - Garbage collectors urge stricter disposal methods; bemoan ‘useless’ coveralls in St Catherine quarantine

THEY SUFFER the same fears as those in the communities they visit and risk infection like any other member of the essential services, yet garbage collectors are the unsung warriors of Jamaica’s COVID-19 fight.

The sentiment echoed among collectors in Portmore, St Catherine, who, despite the confirmation of more than 137 positive cases stemming from the municipality, valiantly cleaned the area last week.

Dressed oddly in thin, white coveralls, four garbage men worked without delay as they peeled garbage drums from a cul-de-sac in Cumberland, Portmore, last week.

According to them, however, the permeable coveralls they were issued are useless in the fight against the disease as they rip and tear easily. Sometimes they are not enough to serve everyone on collection shifts, the workers said.

“Is dem here dem give we. But dem here can’t save us. You don’t see how dem here thin?” shrugged one of the loaders underneath an N95 masks. In front of him, the truck’s hydraulic press turned over a week’s worth of kitchen and bathroom refuse, squeezing brown liquids from the bags as it hummed.

When contacted, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) said it was aware of the concerns about the quality and quantity of the coveralls available in quarantined areas and that they are in the process of procuring a better set. The NSWMA could not say when these will arrive, however.

In the meantime, the state agency said it has been bolstering its sensitisation and cleaning efforts to ensure that garbage collection continues at least once a week in sections of St Catherine, where their service is needed now more than ever.

It asked, however, that residents play their part to ensure the safety of themselves and garbage collectors by properly securing refuse, particularly containers with discarded wipes, napkins and masks.

Since the first positive COVID-19 case locally, the NSWMA said it has collected close to 82 tonnes of garbage islandwide.

“Our teams have received training on correct ways to don and remove hazmat suits, guidelines to be observed upon entering quarantined areas, and how to launder garments worn in quarantined areas,” said a response from the NSWMA.

“To date, we have distributed over 3,469 gloves (which include double-palm, PVC gloves) and over 19,782 masks islandwide,” it continued.

According to Andrew Gooden, NSWMA public cleansing manager for St Catherine, there are more than 121 communities in Portmore from which garbage must be collected at least once weekly, and the quarantine imposed in the municipality only means the teams must work faster and safer.

“All trucks are sprayed each morning, all contact areas are sprayed twice daily. The greatest help that we want from residents now is to ensure that they package the garbage properly,” said Gooden, as he rallied up a team of contract operators for duty last Saturday morning.

The teams were issued exemption letters which they must produce at security checkpoints.

“Some a we going to dead, and some of we going to live. We just have to do what we have to,” said truck driver Ralph Edwards last week.

Sideman Wayne Clarke was not so nonchalant. He has been living in fear, as at least one person has tested positive from his St Catherine community.

NSWMA garbage disposal requests of quarantined COVID-19 areas:

. Secure household garbage by properly bagging, tying, and placing in a container (drum, mesh, receptacles or skip) for collection.

. Double the garbage bags containing tissue, gloves, face masks and diapers.

. Place storage receptacles at the front of the premises, where it can be accessed without hindrance 24 hours per day.