Safety & Legal Guidance For Volunteers
Anyone joining a litter pick organised by the Wilmslow Clean Team, or litter picking on their own as a member of Wilmslow Clean Team, must abide by the following guidance. The guidance is in place to ensure that our volunteers stay safe and to ensure that our litter picking activities DO NOT break the law. Failure to follow this guidance could invalidate the insurance cover that we provide and could expose the committee members to legal action. Therefore please DO NOT do anything that contravenes this guidance.
We have now removed the additional Covid guidelines which have been in place since the start of the pandemic. Please continue to use common sense though – e.g. do not attend litter picks if you are unwell or are testing positive for Covid.
- All clothing should be suitable for outdoor use and the weather conditions at the time
- Wear the “hi-viz” jacket and gloves, that we provide, all times.
- DO NOT pick litter by hand – use the hoop and litter picker stick that we provide
- DO NOT attempt to pick any broken glass, needles or any other objects (‘sharps’) that could cause injury to yourself (or others who handle the bag later on)
- DO NOT go onto privately owned land. Basically this is anything other than adopted roads (the highway and adjacent pavement), public footpaths and bridleways. If it is anything other than this you must ‘assume’ that it is privately owned land.
- DO NOT pick litter when the weather conditions could lead to injury (e.g. snow/ ice, heavy frost, poor visibility or strong wind)
- DO NOT overfill bags (i.e. you should start a new bag before the old one becomes too heavy to carry).
- Leave filled bags next to a council litter bin or at a location specified by the leader of an organised litter pick
- Seal filled bags by tying a knot and put labels on them
- If you become injured or unwell, STOP LITTER PICKING IMMEDIATELY and seek help
- If you are feeling tired STOP LITTER PICKING IMMEDIATELY and call it a day. We DO NOT expect everyone to stay for the full 1.5 hours on an organised litter pick
- Only litter pick on a road with a footpath. Any other roads (including the A34 by-pass) are to be avoided.
Last updated : 30th December 2023
All volunteers who engage in litter picking activities will be required to sign a form to show that they are aware of the guidance. It would be really helpful if new volunteers could print off the form, sign it and bring it along to the first litter picking event that they attend.