The FREE Monthly for London's Homeless December 2011
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The FREE monthly for London’s homeless December 2011 2 / The Pavement, December 2011 The Pavement, December 2011 / 3 www.thepavement.org.uk The Editor Issue 67 / London / December 2011 Published by The Christmas issue, but… The Pavement Registered Charity Number 1110656 This issue has to last you until 6 February 2012, as we take one of our two annual publishing breaks in January. So, although PO Box 60385 it has a few festive themes, we hope it will keep fresh well past London 25 December. While we’re not in print, we’ll post updates and WC1A 9BH Telephone: 020 7833 0050 breaking stories online at www.thepavement.org.uk. E-mail: [email protected] We don’t know what the weather holds, but don’t be shy of the winter shelters (see The List), and if SWEP (see page 11) is initiated, get inside fast. Editor-in-Chief Merry Christmas, and all the best for the New Year. Richard Burdett Richard Burdett News Editor Editor Amy Hopkins [email protected] Web Editor twitter.com/ThePavementMag Val Stevenson • Updated as changes come in, you can find a pdf Reporters list of London’s winter shelters online at: John Ashmore, Emma Batrick www.thepavement.org.uk/pdfs/Winter2011-12.pdf Lizzie Cernik, Dearbhla Crosse Rebecca Evans, Katharine Hibbert Jim O’Reilly, Jo O’Reilly Carinya Sharples Photographers Rufus Exton, Katie Hyams Contributors Susie Rathie, Toe Slayer, Evelyn Weir Cartoonists Contents Nick Baker, Neil Bennett, Cluff, Pete Dredge, Kathryn Lamb, Ed McLachlan, News Pages Ken Pyne, Steve Way, Mike Williams Artists/Designers A rubbish way to die 4 Mike Donaldson, Lo Parkin Simon’s new service 7 Missing People 8 Printed by The names 8–9 Evon Print Ltd, West Sussex News-in-brief 11–20 www.evonprint.co.uk Homeless city guide 12 The Pavement is written for your entertainment and information. Street Life Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the publication, The Street Shield – the homeless hero 22–23 Pavement cannot be held responsible Foot care – care for your pair 24 for the use of the information it See the nurse – the health column 25 publishes. The contents should not be The List (incorporating soup runs) 36–27 relied upon as a substitute for medical, legal or professional advice. The Pavement is a forum for discussion, and opinions expressed in the paper are not necessarily those of The Pavement. The Pavement (print) ISSN 1757-0476 The Pavement (Online) ISSN 1757-0484 4 / The Pavement, December 2011 A rubbish way to die It’s time to wake-up to the dangers of bin deaths Last month The Pavement ran its another opportunity to spot a body. that’s a potential accident – it first advert warning of the dangers Similar procedures were recom- might have been stopped at that of sleeping in bins (opposite mended in People in Commercial time but we still need to know why.” page). But how widespread is this Waste Containers, a guidance Under the new scheme, staff will be issue and what is being done to document issued by the Health able to call the Biffa call centre to discourage it? We asked Biffa, and Safety Executive in June 2010. notify the safety team immediately. one of the UK’s leading waste Although not a legal document, it Biffa, like other waste manage- management companies, if this is is made clear that “if you adopt the ment companies, has also intro- something they’re aware of and, practice and principles described, duced lockable tops and warning if so, do they have any records to you should be taking sufficient stickers on bins, although how indicate the scale of the problem? action to discharge your legal effective such stickers are is unclear. “It is on our radar,” confirmed duties, and secure compliance with The bin slept in by the two men in Shaun Davis, Biffa’s Group Director the law.” Required actions include San Antonio had warning stickers of Health & Safety and the Environ- carrying out a risk assessment of on, and warning stickers were ment. “In terms of statistics we’re “all of the significant risks relating introduced in Brighton long before quite fortunate because in the last to the storage and subsequent the death of teacher Scott Williams, three years we’ve had one accident collection of commercial waste, who was crushed in a rubbish lorry involving a person in a bin, which including the possibility of people after falling asleep in an industrial resulted in a guy injuring his leg.” gaining entry into bins.” bin. Following that accident, in Sadly, over the years, The Pave- As well as implemented on-the- July 2009, City Clean “upgraded” ment has learned of and reported ground procedures, Biffa is keen to its warning stickers on large bins on much more severe, and some- make sure its employees are aware and worked with the council’s times fatal, cases. Just last month, of the risks. “We’ve created a DVD homeless team to put up posters in two homeless men who were called People in Bins, which we hostels and other buildings visited sleeping in a bin in San Antonio, rolled across the entire organisa- by rough sleepers to warn them Texas, were accidentally dumped tion to educate people,” says Mr of the danger of sleeping in bins. into a waste truck compacter. Davis. “Secondly, as we know we’re While Mr Davis sounds a note According to KSAT news, one of coming into that season now which of caution about raising the issue the pair, Richard Salinas, managed is particularly wet and cold, we of sleeping in bins – “people may to escape and raise the alarm but run refresher programmes – what not have thought of bins being it was too late for the other man we call Toolbox Talks – which are nice and warm and dry and cosy” trapped inside, who was crushed short briefing sessions on the risk – he believes educating people from the waist down and later died. of people in bins and the dangers is vital, and shouldn’t stop with In a bid to avoid tragedies such associated… Obviously it’s a risk Biffa. “If you were to lobby the as this, Biffa has implemented all year round and particularly ESA [Environmental Services a series of “pre-lift” procedures, a risk in winter when it’s cold Authority] then they in turn might designed to make sure no one in and wet, so we’re particularly get behind a campaign like this sleeping inside a bin before it is active at discouraging it then.” and get a number of the other lifted and tipped into the waste Another step Biffa is currently waste organisations behind this. truck. As well as visually checking taking is to introduce a “near miss” It’s something that I’m particu- that no one is in the bin, the bin is reporting programme. “We are larly keen on promoting and if it rattled once the lifting forks are looking at actually identifying how came from both sides – from the in position to give anyone inside many people we think might have industry and pressure groups or another opportunity to make been in a bin prior to us lifting it,” public groups such as yourself themselves known. The trucks are explains Mr Davis. “And also when – it could be really worthwhile.” also fitted with cameras, which we actually do move it, if anybody film the rubbish material as it is is found to be in that bin, making Carinya Sharples tipped into the truck and relay the sure that our people report that images back to the cab, giving staff internally as a near miss because The Pavement, December 2011 / 5 6 / Advertisement, December 2011 The Pavement, December 2011 / 7 Simon’s new service We look at the Simon Community’s new women’s service Homeless charity The Simon women. We therefore welcome a for any women to feel their only Community has launched a new new service opening in Westmin- option is to live on the streets.” group for women rough sleepers. ster to help them off the streets The group held its first meeting The project aims to provide a and hopefully on to a better life.” at the end of July, which saw safe, female-only place for women The Simon Community has a the project get off to a “really to come and relax – with the founding principle of not accept- good start,” said Mr Baker. long term aim of helping women ing government funding, which Mr One woman attendee said it “explore their wants, needs and Baker said makes them free to offer was the first time in eight months options, without pressure.” a “different approach to other more that she had been able to spend Simon Community Director outcome-orientated services.” time in a women only space. Bob Baker said: “The opportunity He added: “In the initial Miranda Keast, Soup Run Out- to have some safe space and stage we are hoping to attract reach Worker at The Passage, said: respite from what is a permanent a group of women for whom we “I think the Simon Community’s state of stress is invaluable in can simply provide a place of new women’s group is a fantastic engaging women and working safety where they can relax. development. It’s an excellent towards providing opportuni- “As they get to know the volun- example of how partnership ties for self-determination rather teers they will be able to explore working and sharing of resources than imposing solutions.” their wants, needs and options can produce a new initiative that The scheme, set up by without pressure.