Handling waste safely

Heavy duty: KDEBWM rubbish collectors moving a leach bin to hook onto a bin lifter installed on compactor trucks. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star

At a time when double masking is encouraged for maximum protection against Covid-19, it has come to light that some sanitation workers are not wearing necessary protective gear as they go about their work.Welfare and animal rights group Persatuan Penyayang and Kesaksamaan Kuala Lumpur (PPKKL) president Idris Moktar shared his observations of sanitation workers accompanying rubbish trucks on their rounds in Kampung Baru and the Chow Kit area.

“Watching workers handle bags of rubbish with their bare hands leaves me to wonder if they have been properly briefed on the possible dangers of infectious materials like used sanitary pads, diapers or face masks, which are regularly found in domestic waste.