There should soon be less heavy lifting involved with garbage pick-up in Castlegar.
Municipal services manager Chris Hallam told city council last month that garbage collection currently requires staff to lift heavy bags above shoulder height and into a truck.
However, that’s been flagged as a potential health and safety concern, so the city put out a request for proposals for new equipment. It received one response from Rollins Machinery Ltd., and council has awarded a contract worth $87,900 plus taxes.
What the city will get for that money is an attachment that will fit on the garbage truck, providing mechanical help to lift garbage into the truck’s storage bin and unload it.
Hallam said crews will still lift garbage at ground level and place it on a bucket, but then it will be scooped into the truck.
Council had to amend its budget to allow for the purchase, because only $40,000 had been included in the line item.
The new equipment is expected to be in use before the end of the year.
