Liverpool Cleansing Policy
Page 55
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HAVING considered a report on studies carried out by management consultants, the Liverpool Corporation highways and works committee has decided that in view of the development of large-capacity, rear-loading vehicles for refuse collection, the semi-trailer system be discontinued as soon as financial considerations allow: large-capacity, rear-loading vehicles be introduced on all rounds except two where smaller vehicles should he provided; vehicles, as a general rule, should only tip once a day during working hours and the gang size should be kept to four men; provision should be made for non-compression vehicles for large items of refuse; trials should be carried out to find the most suitable vehicle for handling refuse for the city centre.
Transatlantic Tour
A VISIT to the American Public Works Association Congress was one of the highballs of an overseas journey recently made by Mr. D. G. Palmer, managing director of the Eagle Engineering Co. Ltd. He tells me that the A..P.W.A. has its own way of ensuring satisfactory attendances at the technical papers then presented. The admission tickets are numbered and a counterfoil is dropped into a box at the entrance; then at the end of the session there is a draw for valuable prizes. The award offered at the final meeting of the Conference was no less than a station truck, so perhaps it is hardly surprising that few were seen sneaking out before the end! Mr. Palmer did not feel that the products exhibited were in any way superior to their British counterparts. there being a great tendency to over-complication of design and to heavier construction.
In Detroit, Mr. Palmer found three forms of refuse collection in operation. On the domestic side, garbage (that is to say, kitchen waste) is collected twiceweekly, separate arrangements being made for the lifting of general rubbish including such items as garden refuse and bottles. In addition, trade and industrial wastes are carried by contractors, usually working sonic form of container system.
Cross-country Tender
WHEN an aircraft misses its cue for landing on the airport tarmac there is a very fair chance that immediate action will he needed at some spot inaccessible to ordinary vehicles. Among the chassis favoured for such specialist duties is the Mercedes-Benz Unimog. and just recently at J. H. Jennings and Son Ltd., the Sandbach bodybuilders. 1 observed a unit of this make being dispatched to Roberts International Airport in Liberia. This is the third crash tender built by this companyfor overseas during the 'past few months, the two previous having been delivered to Nairobi • Airport and to Jersey Airport. The Jennings-built bodywork of the latest production is timber framed and alloy panelled. Fire-fighting equipment. is by John Kerr and Co. (Manchester) Ltd.. of Kirkby, and includes two 220-lb. dry chemical extinguishers, three 80-1b. CO2 cylinders and two 17-in, searchlights, operated by a pi-o.-driven generator.
Black Marks
SOME frank Criticisms of the staff's standard of driving are contained in the latest report of the Lancashire County Council Ambulance Service. Apparently there was a slight improvement in the number of blameworthy accidents in 1963 as compared with the previous year and it is commented that, fortunately, relatively few of them were the result of collisions with other vehicles. The report suggests that the number of incidents occurring whilst reversing, or striking immovable objects, is much too high. In justification. some of the men have pointed out that they arc not working in surroundings planned for transport use and that in many cases the situations in which they find themselves have no parallel in commercial life. One of the difficulties of the ambulance, of course, is that a scrape which would pass almost unnoticed on an ordinary vehicle shows on clean and light-coloured panelling.
Following an increase of use by 4-9 per cent. in 1962. the demands on the service in Lancashire last year rose by a further 8-6 per cent. the total of 941,836 cases conveyed being the highest on record. Altogether the service was providing transport for nearly 60 per cent more patients than it did 12 years ago. The mileage of the fleet consequently rose, reaching a figure for the year of more than 44in. Dealing with an increased number of patients, but confined to a Fixed establishment for staff and vehicles, provided some difficult problems,
Litter Eaters
VACUUM cleaning of pavements, shopping precincts and such like has been. making considerable strides during the past few months. In some cases the local authorities efforts in this connection are frankly tentative but on October 21 some of the connoisseurs in public cleansing were at Salford for a rather snecial occasion. This was the handing over to the Corporation of a. team of six Clarke Model CLV-30G pavement vacuum cleaners. Of American origin, these machines are distributed in this country by Motor Rail Ltd. A feature of this reasonably priced outfit is the 114-eu.-ft. bag. Power, which is entirely devoted to .suction, is produced by a 3 h.p. Briggs and Stratton engine. The fuel tank gives it run of two to three hours' normal work. Safford arranges for a service van on normal duties to carry out refuelling as necessary.