Skip Hire – and How to do it Safely

A skip is a highly useful thing, and vital for many jobs, but, although it’s rare for harm to befall those who hire one, there are some potential dangers for the inexperienced when it comes to using such a receptacle. Therefore, before hiring a skip, it’s wise and even essential to become familiar with a small number of safety tips.

Location

In advance of the skip’s delivery, make sure that its planned location is free of litter, debris and other obstacles. Select a level, stable spot which can provide easy access for the driver who’s going to deliver and, later, remove the skip. Never forget that a skip is heavy and, once filled, it will become even heavier. Because of this, any ground it’s placed on needs to be strong enough to prevent the skip sinking into it. If placed on damp or wet soil, the skip could become unstable and such a surface will also make it far harder – and even dangerous – to collect.

Public Land

When it arrives, the skip may be placed on any suitable spot on your own property. However, if it needs to be left on public land, including pavements and roads, you’ll need to get a permit from your local authority and this may require that you pay an appropriate fee.

Pets and People

While the skip is being delivered, take care to see to it that your children and pets are well out of the way, preferably indoors. You don’t want them running into the path of a reversing vehicle. And, for that matter, ensure that all adults, including yourself, also stay out of the vehicle’s way.

Leave Things Well Alone

Now that the skip is in place, leave it in place. It may seem hard to believe but it’s not totally unknown for people to attempt to move a skip after it’s been delivered. Not only is trying to move such a heavy container potentially dangerous but it may damage both the skip and the surrounding property as well. Not only that but moving it may lead to access problems for the driver when he or she turns up to take it away. For this purpose, always make sure you know in advance exactly where you want the skip to be placed.

Suitable Items for Disposal

Think about what you put in the skip. It may look like it will take just about anything you can throw at it but don’t add hazardous waste, like batteries, aerosols, solvents, oils, paints and plasterboard. Hiding such items at the bottom of the skip, so that no one can see them, won’t make it acceptable. It just makes it less honest. Remember, it’s illegal to dispose of hazardous materials in skips and there are good reasons for that.

Over-Filling

Don’t fill the skip beyond the top of its sides. Thanks to the potential dangers of an over-filled skip, a driver won’t take one away and the law won’t allow him or her to, anyway.

Also on the subject of filling the skip, put thought into how you stack the various items. Put the heavy items in first and the lighter ones in last. This helps prevent the risk of subsidence and the dangers that would come with heavy materials suddenly moving around unexpectedly.

Handling Heavy Items

For the sake of your own physical well-being, be careful about how you handle items you’re throwing into the skip. Make sure to bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. And, of course, keep that back straight when lifting. If it’s impossible for you to lift an item without straining, get someone to help you, rather than risk doing yourself an injury.

In Summary

Follow these simple tips and you and your skip should make a great team and, whatever the job you’ve hired it for, you should find yourself and your loved ones coming through the whole process totally unscathed.