Job Title: Driver/Loader / Service: Places
Post Number:Various / Division:Community Services
Grade: 5 / Business Unit/Section:
Refuse Services
Overall Purpose of Job:
Ensure the satisfactory completion of allocated refuse collection round.
Main Responsibilities:
Drive and be responsible for any allocated refuse collection vehicle.
Vehicle checks, including routine maintenance (for example oil and water checks) and the cleaning.
Ensure the safe operation of any power mechanism that may be fitted.
Make the necessary tipping at the designated areas, following any required safety procedures.
Transport and supervision of the crew, with responsibility for the safe operation
of the round.
When not driving the driver may assist in the loading of the vehicle.
Ensure good relationships are maintained between the refuse collection service and members of the public or commercial customers.
Report any serious occurrences whilst undertaking duties to the Cleansing & Wastes Services supervisor.
To promote continuous improvement, within a total quality culture.
Knowledge, Skill and Experience Required:
  • To plan and progress a series of jobs within general guidelines
  • Physically fit
  • Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving Licence
  • Technical knowledge of vehicle and equipment.
  • Flexibility
  • Literate and numerate
  • Knowledge of area
  • Knowledge of Health & Safety at Work etc. Act

Creativity and Innovation:
  • Planning the route to accommodate Trade customers’ opening times/ parking facilities
  • Planning the route of the round to accommodate any extra collections
  • Re planning the route should there be any complications, such as road works, one way systems, funerals, horses etc.
  • Making special arrangements with the landfill site staff, should late tipping be necessary
  • Must be flexible around children’s playtimes, or arrival/ departure from school
  • Maintenance of specialist vehicle and equipment
  • Safe working methods
  • Provide advice to the public should any unusual questions/ queries arise

Decision Making:
  • Decide if vehicle and equipment are safe to use
  • Decide on appropriate safe working method for situation
  • Decide on correct response to members of the public

Contacts and Relationships:
  • Line Manager – daily - reporting problems, ensuring smooth running of the operations.
  • General Public and local businesses - several times a day - enquiries/complaints, ensuring that good relations are maintained
  • Vehicle Maintenance Fitters - can be weekly or monthly - reporting defects on vehicle/ service / MOT, keeping vehicle roadworthy
  • Work Colleagues - daily - team building, exchanging information, discussing issues and resolving problems
  • Landfill staff - complying with strict safety regulations

Responsibility for Resources: (to include approximate value, sole or shared responsibility and for what percentage of their working hours away from their designated base)
  • Full, continuous responsibility for the refuse vehicle, which has a replacement value between 80k and 125k, which includes daily safety checks etc.
  • Continuous responsibility for members of the public’s private property such as dust bins and private property along the route of a driveway (parked cars etc.) where special collections are made.
  • Continually responsible for fuel, vehicle and premises keys

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Demands:
Delay or interruption is a constant factor of the post. The following are examples:
Weather: Working constantly outdoors means that the weather can often cause problems.
Bank Holidays: Collections must be rearranged to cover Bank Holidays.
Vehicle Breakdown: Should the refuse lorry break down, alternative arrangements must be made quickly and efficiently.
Workload: Work loads change on a daily basis, for example there may be extra collections to be made, or where a business customer has not made payment a collection will not take place.
Customers: May encounter dissatisfied customers along the route, who must be dealt with accordingly.
Sickness and Holidays: Should other team members be off work on sickness or annual leave, cover must be discussed with the Supervisor/ Line Manager.
Physical Demands:
  • Drivers walk a number of miles per day, and are almost constantly on their feet. There is also a great deal of climbing in and out of the lorry, and pulling and lifting of heavy bins along a variety of surfaces.
  • Concentration in a adverse weather e.g. ice & snow when driving

Working Conditions:
  • Varied, but mostly outdoors
  • Constant exposure to noise, dirt, dust, weather conditions and confrontational customers
  • There are no toilets, or drink making facilities available at all

Work Context:
  • Working on roads with associated risk from traffic
  • Syringes disposed of in bins
  • Vermin
  • Back strain -lifting bins
  • Ice, snow etc. during winter
  • Dog Attack: When entering private property
  • The possibility of violent or challenging behaviour from members of the public


Position in Organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for:

Does the postholder manage the posts Yes  No 

OR
Does the postholder supervise the posts Yes  No 
Are posts in more than one location? Yes  No 
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? Yes  No 
Please indicate which post(s) ______

Note:

Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility. This job description is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the contract of employment.

Date of Job Description…………………………….

Date copy sent to Post holder…………………………….

Corporate Services Cabinet Member 12 November 2003