The countdown to the festive season is officially on. As the Christmas deadlines loom closer, and the frost begins to settle, it can mean that you’re in a rush to get the site clean and clear before you clock off. 

With sites around the county prepping for the Christmas and New Year break, you may be wondering how to get your site cleared before everyone arrives back in the new year.

After all, with a clean site, you can get straight back to work when you arrive back on-site without any delays.

To help you feel ready to ring in the new year and prepared to move your project forward, we’ve listed some simple ways to help you manage your Christmas clear up. 

Emergency Grab Hire 

If you’ve still got piles of rubbish to be cleared on-site, from muck to hardcore, at AJ Grab Hire we often have last-minute availability. 

To ensure your site is clean and clear before the Christmas break call our team who can arrange a last-minute collection and ensure your rubbish is taken to a certified recycler or landfill site. 

Our grab hire lorries take up to 20 minutes to clear 16 tonnes of rubbish, which means your site can be rubbish-free within an hour of our arrival. 

Grab hire is much more efficient than a skip, and with notoriously bad weather during the winter season, it is much safer than a skip. For example, with high winds, an exposed skip may mean rubbish or muck flies out of the skip and back onto the site, or even in a neighbouring land. This is not what you want when you come back in January. A messy site, and complaints from neighbours. 

Call our team to arrange a last-minute grab hire rubbish collection, and take a break knowing that your site is ready for work as soon as you get back. 

Site Safety 

No matter the site you are working on, be it a large commercial site or a domestic site, it’s paramount that you ensure the site is locked and secure before you take your Christmas break. 

Site safety not only ensures that nobody can trespass, but will also ensure that people do not come into harm if they accidentally enter the site. 

Once your site is clean and cleared, it is your priority to ensure all tools and vehicles are locked away and that the site is cordoned off from the general public securely. 

Signs should also be displayed around your site detailing that there is a potential danger to trespassers, especially if there are large holes in the ground, or even scaffolding, or other temporary structures. 

In regards to temporary structures, these should also be checked before you clock off, as bad weather conditions may make these unsafe. Ensure they are securely fixed down so that they do not cause any damage to the site, or come down during bad weather. 

Protect Materials 

Lastly, any materials that you wish on using in the new year should be stored away securely to ensure they do not become damaged by the elements during your break. 

From weather to potential theft, locking your materials away in a locker unit will ensure that you have everything to hand for when you arrive back in the new year.

At AJ Grab Hire we hate to see precious materials go to waste, so make it your priority to protect and store all good materials that can be used. 

Even materials that are in good condition but may no longer be needed for the job can be sold on or recycled, so think wisely about what you have lying around the site, and get savvy about keeping it safe. In the new year, you can either recycle these materials, sell them on, or even store them for another job. 

Contact our team today to arrange your last-minute grab hire waste collection.

You may think that proper waste removal is a ‘nice to have’, but the truth is, no matter the size of your project, considerate waste removal is a must-have.

Whether you’re an independent contractor managing a home renovation, or a large commercial construction company working on a multi-site project, we’ve supported a variety of customers to stay on the right side of the law when it comes to waste management. 

While it can be tempting to cut costs and not follow the guidelines when you feel up against tight deadlines, we hope this feature will make you think twice about taking a shortcut, and instead invest in a waste removal partner who can keep you and your waste on the right side of the law. 

Fines

Unfortunately, rogue traders are a common occurrence in the waste removal sector and it’s an increasing problem here in the UK. 

Rogue traders are not certified waste removers, and often illegally dump your rubbish and waste in the local area causing great harm to the natural wildlife. 

Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence in the UK, for which you can be prosecuted. 

Many believe that it’s only the rogue trader who receives the fine or prison time, but householders and contractors who employ these rogue traders can also be fined. 

At present householders can be fined up to £400 if they pass their waste onto an unlicensed waster carrier, however, the government is reviewing this to continue to deter people from using rogue traders. 

The rogue trader if caught can receive up to a £50,000 fine and up to five years in prison. 

Pest Control 

Leaving waste around your home renovation or project without proper management can cause a serious pest problem. Especially if you have household rubbish around which makes an ideal home for rats and other vermin. 

On average in the UK the cost of pest control can go up to £250, but this all depends on how bad the infestation has become, and how much time and bait needs to be used. The cost can go much higher if you have a severe problem. 

Dealing with pests around your waste is not just an expensive problem to deal with, it can also take time to remove them, and impact your neighbours. 

 While there is a financial cost, there is also a cost to the project and to your environment. 

Environmental Fines 

The Environment Agency has the power to bring a company to court for breaching environmental legislation. 

While fly-tipping is the most common offence, there are many other crimes that the Environment agency can pursue, such as polluting local waters or land and moving large amounts of waste to other countries. 

In 2015, one company was fined £25,450 for illegally exporting 187 tonnes of waste to six African countries. 

 If large fines don’t scare you, the Environment agency can, in some rare cases, order the closure or suspension of a business until an environmental breach has been rectified. 

Contractor Delays 

If waste builds up over a long period of time, or just isn’t removed quickly enough it can cause serious delays to projects. 

For example, if you have multiple contractors all working on one site, waste can sometimes delay others from starting their phase, which then results in a delay for all the other contractors and the project overall. 

In one survey on project management by the Institute of Purchasing and Supply, delays can cost companies up to 20% more than the estimated cost on the project. 

To mitigate these substantial costs to any project, waste management is an essential part of any project plan and execution. 

Reputational Damage 

While the fines and prison time may put the fear into you about proper waste management, nothing really costs more than when your reputation as a business is ruined. 

Even one small mishap or accident can leave your business open to public shaming. 

Local newspapers are quick to report on construction firms not following the rules, and now with social media, people can quickly take to their profiles to share their stories and instantly ruin a company’s reputation with just one bad review. 

Many businesses struggle to come back from bad PR or negative reviews, so being considerate about your waste removal really is a better safe than sorry situation. 

To get support or help with your waste removal from a certified Environment Agency waste carrier, contact our team at AJ Grab Hire today.