Environment Monday - Rats and Rubbish - A risk to your health

In the last four weeks, I've seen more rats on my walks around Mill Hill than I've seen in the last ten years. Barnet has historically been a relatively rat free Borough, in 2017 we were 21st in the list of rat reports. Given that we are the second largest Borough and have the largest population, that is something that the Council would have been able to say is a very good performance. The reasons for this are largely down to the fact that Barnet adopted wheelie bins for refuse collection, which are not rat friendly and they were historically very good at collecting them. Since the 5th November, this has all changed. Rubbish has been piling up and rotting everywhere. As far as rats are concerned, this really was a great reason to celebrate Christmas. Whilst it is unlikely that the rat population of Barnet has grown significantly in that period, the rats are far more likely to be seen as they forage in the piles of waste.

Rats pose a clear and present threat to public health. Rentokil list the following disease risks from rats (other local pest control companies can be found with a simple google)

Rodents carry a wide range of disease-causing organisms, including many species of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths (worms). They also act as vectors or reservoirs for many diseases via their ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites, as well as some diseases carried by mosquitoes.
In fact, rodents are thought to be responsible for more deaths than all the wars over the last 1,000 years.

• Arenavirus
• Bartonellosis (Trench fever)
• Capillariasis
• Echinococcosis

• Hantavirus
• Leptospirosis
• Rat bite fever
• Rat tapeworm
• Salmonellosis

• The Plague
• Toxoplasmosis
• Trichinellosis
• Tularemia
• Weil’s disease

 We urge all Barnet residents to take any sightings of rats seriously. If it is on public land, notify the council. If it is in your house, I strongly suggest you contact the council or  a pest control company and wash down all affected surfaces with disinfectant. Many of these diseases can affect pets as well.

Many Barnet residents have been wondering why we've got the problem with bin collections. Members of staff have compiled a list of the issues and root causes of the problem. It is quite extensive and pretty shocking

1. Because of the split depots and the traveling time to and from rounds and to and from tipping stations (Hendon and Edmonton) area based working does not appear to work.
2. The Round sheets were wrong from day one and are still wrong, which is frustrating for the drivers.
3. Work has been taken off some rounds, but it is still showing on round sheets, no one appears to know why this is happening?
4. The maps were wrong from day one and are still wrong.
5. Assisted collections are still wrong.
6. Route and round risk assessments have not been done
7. The mileage being walked by the loaders is too great.
8. The rounds are too big.
9. Putting agency staff on the same round who don’t know the borough, don’t know where they’re going and who have had no banksman training is very dangerous.
10. The trade rounds are too big and having only one loader is very dangerous, with R.A.T.S left uncollected for weeks because a big vehicle just can’t get in the alleyways.
11. Restricted access rounds have been biggest problem, again because big vehicles just can’t get into small locations.
12. Flat rounds have been a big problem, again because of access problems and the sheer volume of tonnage involved.
13. Green waste rounds have been impossible to complete even a single day because of the size of the rounds.
14. No lessons have been learnt from previous years about Xmas collections and the sheer volume of waste and Xmas trees to be collected.
15. Bulking area problems, not helped by off-hiring1 artic cab, deleting 1 job and using the other 2 staff to drive refuse rounds, leaving 1 worker to run site.
16. Too much recycling for the area to cope with, so it is up to the roof and left on site overnight. Add to this tons of green waste tipped in unsuitable holding bays also left on site overnight.
17. Not all staff trained on new vehicles.
18. Vehicles left full overnight and not fuelled up, causing knock on effects for the morning crews, also rat damage and fitters unable to do repairs, servicing and MOT’s.
19. When work is left uncompleted, no proper procedures in place to identify what’s been left and on what round or road, with sometimes several crews sent out to clear up only to find work has already been cleared.
20. No way of monitoring tonnages.
21. Supervisors and managers unable to do their jobs because they have been out loading or driving.
22. No procedures in place to pick up loaders to drop them off to other rounds to help them or take them back to the depot.
23. Bin deliveries regularly cancelled
24. Clinical waste regularly cancelled
25. Hazard round too big to complete and regularly cancelled
26. Fear some staff working over their driving and working hours to clear up work.
27. Staff being abused by members of the public because of their frustration
28. Members of the public reporting they can’t get through on the help lines and when they do no one gets back to them.
29. Staff off sick with stress, depression and injuries.
30. Household waste left uncollected for weeks.
31. Trade waste left uncollected for weeks
32. Flats left uncollected for weeks
33. Green waste left uncollected for weeks/months
34. Drivers coming from Harrow to pick up loader or vehicles in Oakleigh depot
35. No shunts have been available
36. Occasions where there may be up to 6 vehicles working on the same road
37. Saturday and Sunday working almost since the new service started.
38. High level of agency staff at both depots
39. Lack of keys or FOB’s or codes on round sheets
40. Some support crews cancelled
41. Emptying refuse, recycling and green waste into same vehicle

I urge all Barnet Residents to not discard food and other edible waste in the street, or anywhere that can be accessed by rats. One of the most unfortunate things residents are doing is leaving food waste in parks and public places used by children and dog walkers. This leads to rat infestations where children play. No one wants children and pets to be exposed to these dangerous diseases. The best way to stop them is to dispose of rubbish responsibly. Always wash your hands with an anti bacterial hand wash if you have come into contact with anything which may have rat urine contamination. We recommend anti bacterial hand wipes.

Barnet Council detail what they do and don't do and how to report rodent infestations on their website. We strongly urge everyone to make sure they report all rodent sightings.  

We don't investigate complaints of mice outside, but we're able to investigate complaints regarding rats outside or rats and mice inside premises. To report a rat or mouse problem please contact the Environmental Health Service on telephone 020 8359 7995 or email nuisance@barnet.gov.uk that includes your address and telephone number as well as details of the premises where the rats or mice have been seen. The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 requires land owner/occupier to keep their land free from rats and mice. The Environmental Health Service is able to take enforcement action against a person failing to comply with the legislation.

And finally, please email your local councillor to ensure that they take the issue of rodent infestations seriously.

(Please note that we have not been paid by Rentkil to post this blog).