Call for danger payments after 'grenade' found at recycling centre

Glasgow’s GMB convenor is calling for danger payments to be made to workers after a recycling centre had to be closed off due to the discovery of a suspected hand grenade.

Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre on Polmadie Road was evacuated after the item was found on site by a member of staff.

Bomb squads were called to the centre in the city’s South Side with the event being described as “unusual”.

One eyewitness said: “All the workers were standing outside on the pavement and there were a couple of police cars on site too. It was an unusual thing to witness.”

It was later determined that the device was a replica, but GMB members said the event just highlighted the potential dangers faced by those working in the cleansing department – and said some sort of compensation should be made to the workers.

Convenor Chris Mitchell said: “The situation at Polmadie is very serious and dangerous and it just goes to show how much health and safety is needed in the workplace.

“I am glad the situation was dealt with very quickly – that is a credit to the workers over there and I’m glad at this point everyone is safe.

“The question is how did this “grenade” get in there? Did it come in from one of the refuse collection trucks that tip there at the end of the day?

“Our members pick up tons of waste everyday – some hazardous – that’s how this job can be very dangerous because you do not know what you’re picking up on a daily basis.

“You can be in contact with everything, especially rats and now a grenade. There should be some kind of danger payments made to these workers in this environment.

“At the end of the day I’m glad the workers and the general public are safe.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “There are processes in place to ensure the safety of workers in all our facilities.”