NATIONAL Safe Work Month is a timely reminder that every worker deserves to return home safely at the end of the day.
This year’s theme, Safe Work is for Life, carries a simple but powerful message: safety is everyone’s responsibility.
It doesn’t start and end in the workplace.
It extends into our homes, our communities and even the way we dispose of our waste.
In recent months, our waste collection crews have experienced several serious incidents caused by hazardous materials being placed in Redland City Council kerbside waste and recycling bins.
These incidents have included a truck fire sparked by a discarded battery, along with significant damage to collection vehicles, private property and roads caused by leaking paint and oil.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but these events serve as a stark warning of the risks created when hazardous waste is disposed of incorrectly.
The problem is more common than many people realise.
This year alone, Council’s waste contractor has recorded 12 gas bottles and eight oil, paint and chemical incidents in Council’s waste trucks.
Regional waste audits conducted in 2025 also found that up to 93 out of every 100 collection trucks contained either a loose battery or an item with an embedded battery, highlighting the scale of the issue and the potential risks facing collection crews every day.
Items such as batteries, gas bottles, paint and oil may seem harmless when sitting in a garage, shed or cupboard, but they can become extremely dangerous once they enter the waste collection system.
This National Safe Work Month, Council is asking our community to make safe disposal a habit for life.
By taking a few extra minutes to dispose of hazardous waste correctly, you can help prevent fires, protect our environment, reduce costly damage and, most importantly, help ensure our waste collection crews can do what matters most at the end of every shift: go home safely.
