Bigger nitrous oxide canisters fuel waste-truck blasts (Full Transcript)

Waste operators report thousands of nitrous oxide canister explosions, rising damage and safety risks as use shifts to larger cylinders despite Class C rules.

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[00:00:03] Speaker 1: There's small explosions in the back of refuse vehicles. This is incredibly frightening for our employees.

[00:00:10] Speaker 2: Some of our sites are seeing upwards of 2,000 explosions, which we weren't seeing before.

[00:00:15] Speaker 3: Zeeshan is a former nitrous oxide user who's worried about continued use.

[00:00:20] Speaker 4: You see cylinders and tanks all over the streets. I walk down the road and I see very young people like 14, 15, 16 using it and that's not good.

[00:00:31] Speaker 3: It's a class C drug, making possession and sale for recreational purposes a criminal offence. The government says overall use has fallen, but some users have turned to larger canisters, which is a big problem for the waste industry.

[00:00:46] Speaker 2: Small canisters, although they were a problem, they were less of a problem because obviously less amount of gas, less volume in them. Now we've gone to the bigger canisters, obviously there's a lot more gas in there, a lot more material to rupture, so it does cause a lot more damage.

[00:00:59] Speaker 1: We estimate since 2023 the damage to be in the region is about £7.5 million.

[00:01:05] Speaker 3: The government says suppliers have a clear legal duty to ensure products are not sold for recreational use.

Summary

Waste industry workers are facing increasing hazards from nitrous oxide canisters exploding in refuse vehicles and at waste sites. Although nitrous oxide is now a class C drug when sold/possessed for recreational use and overall use is said to have fallen, some users have shifted from small cartridges to larger cylinders. These larger canisters contain more gas and material, causing more severe ruptures, damage, and frightening incidents for employees. One operator reports some sites experiencing up to 2,000 explosions and estimates damage since 2023 at around £7.5 million. The government states suppliers have a legal duty to prevent products being sold for recreational use.

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Title

Nitrous oxide canisters causing explosions and damage in waste sector

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Keywords

nitrous oxide Remove

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laughing gas Remove

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class C drug Remove

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waste industry Remove

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refuse vehicles Remove

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explosions Remove

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canisters

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cylinders

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public safety Remove

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youth use

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supplier legal duty Remove

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damage costs Remove

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Key Takeaways

Waste sites and refuse trucks are experiencing frequent small explosions linked to discarded nitrous oxide canisters.
A shift from small cartridges to larger cylinders increases rupture risk and severity of damage.
Incidents are frightening for waste employees and create significant operational and safety hazards.
Estimated damage since 2023 is around £7.5 million for one operator/region, indicating major costs.
Despite claims of falling overall use, street litter and underage use remain visible in some areas.
Government notes suppliers have a legal duty to prevent sales for recreational use, but enforcement and compliance are key challenges.

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Sentiments

Negative: The tone is concerned and alarmed, focusing on frightening explosions, increased incident rates, visible youth use, and significant financial damage to waste operations.

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