"You don't normally see a girl doing this job"

Written by Tracy Male, Information, Advice and Guidance Project Manager at Energy & Utility Skills

This is the comment a member of the public said to me when I recently shadowed a female refuse operative in Wales. Of course this person was right; Becca Silver from Cardiff City Council is one of the very few female refuse operatives in the UK.

When Becca kindly asked me if I would like to observe her doing her job, kerbside collection of waste from the public, it was an offer I couldn't refuse (excuse the pun!).

The day started with us driving to the area of Cardiff for the collection. It was a green waste day so thankfully for me, it wasn't too smelly!

The job involved wheeling the bin to the refuse vehicle, which was then loaded onto the back of the vehicle which would then tip it up and empty the contents. The bin was then returned to the kerbside.

I knew the job would be physically demanding, many bins are so full they can be difficult to manoeuvre, but I hadn't realised how much walking the job involved. If you want to get fit then this is the ideal job!

Whilst I was observing Becca I gained a real appreciation for how health and safety conscious you need to be. A large part of the job involves common sense, but you really need to be constantly aware of the traffic around you and the large refuse vehicle, which can be quite intimidating when you stand close to it. You need to be careful when loading the bins as they are quickly lifted up by a machine to be tipped into the back of the vehicle - stand too close and you could injured..

I was fortunate that it was a mild sunny day, but I could see how challenging the job would be in the pouring rain or hot sun.

Becca says; 'I like being out in the fresh air all the time, but the smell of the black bag rubbish can be really horrible, particularly in the summer and in the winter it can be hard working in the snow.'

After the crew had emptied all the green bins in the area, we returned to the depot. The vehicle was weighed to calculate how much waste had been collected and then we drove to the green waste unloading area where, over a period of time, this waste will become compost. On average the vehicle will return to the depot two to three times a day.

Becca really enjoys her job, she worked in an office for a couple of years, but says she would now always prefer to do a physical job. She likes working outside and enjoys the exercise she gets from the job.

When Becca first started the job she didn't find it easy, she comments; "Being the only woman here was difficult. When I first started I had to prove that a woman can do this job. I am accepted now by my work colleagues and they all really look after me and treat me as an equal. I mix well with everybody and have a real good laugh."

To read more about Becca's experiences as a refuse operative visit the Day in the Life of....

Energy & Utility Skills would like to thank Cardiff City Council, in particular Becca Silver, for giving us the opportunity to have hands on experience of the job of a refuse operative.