This assessment examines the hazards, risks and control measures relating to Fire and Rescue Service personnel, the personnel of other agencies and members of the public when fighting fires in refuse and refuse containers. This may vary from a fire in a small skip to one at a landfill or waste processing site. It also includes fires at unlicensed locations.

There are significant hazards and risks which face Fire and Rescue Service personnel at fires in refuse. Chapters within this GRA include:

• Access and egress
• Pressurised containers, aerosols and various types of gas cylinder
• Asbestos, medium density fireboard
• Chemicals, hazardous substances and materials and radioactive materials
• Environmental considerations
• Landfill gas
• Biohazards
• Unstable ground conditions and voids
• Animals and insects
• Plant machinery and vehicles
• Water and slurry pits
• Work at height/falling materials
• Rubber vehicle tyres
• Needle sticks, sharps and other penetration hazards
• Refuse chutes/bin rooms
• Violence and aggression at work
• Skip weld explosions.

Depending on the nature and scale of the operational incident a variety of significant hazards may be present. Therefore contents of other specific Generic Risk Assessments may also need to be considered.

As with all GRAs, this assessment provides a starting point for each FRS to conduct their own assessments and produce their own Safe Systems of Work within the context of local conditions and existing organisational arrangements.

This GRA is supplied as an A4, loose-leaf publication. A binder pack containing an introduction to the series, foreword by Sir Ken Knight, contents, and dividers is available to order separately. The binder is the ideal solution for storing these loose-leaf GRAs.