GMB cleansing workers in Glasgow campaign for life saving defibrillators

Glasgow’s cleansing workers have launched a campaign for life-saving defibrillators to be installed at each depot.

The GMB is backing its members in their new quest to help maintain the health and wellbeing of workers and are asking Glasgow City Council to help fund nine defibrillators in total.

Since the beginning of the year the trade union has also called on the local authority to help provide staff with CPR training and offer more mental health support.

Glasgow City Council says defibrillators are already installed in some of the depots.

Chris Mitchell, GMB convenor, said: “We have an ageing workforce and a workforce that do an important manual handling task and it does take a toll on their health.

“We are starting to make a bit of progress with our mental health and well being campaign now and we think that a defibrillator at each depot would be a fantastic idea.

“The petition will be launched this week and we hope we can get some funding from Glasgow City Council to fund these defibrillators.

“We have had a few members raising concerns about what they can do to help their colleagues if they get ill.

“Installing a defibrillator can save someone’s life if they have to wait for the emergency services to arrive.

“I have seen people deteriorating in front of me – people that I have known for a long time – because of the job they do.

“We don’t have enough staff coming in to help with the older generation. You can have a heart attack at any time. I fear that stress and anxieties associated with everyday life might exacerbate the situation.

“It would give our members some peace of mind if anything were to happen to their colleagues. A lot of our men and women have come forward to ask for first aid training.

“We feel this would really help us.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “There are defibrillators installed in a number of depots and we are looking at how their use can be rolled out.

“We want to ensure a consistent approach across the council estate.”