Worker suffers facial burns after flare dumped in bulky waste ignites
WasteServ bans private contractor from facilities and issues warning about dangerous waste disposal
A private contractor who was unloading bulky waste at a WasteServ site suffered facial burns on Saturday after a flare in the waste he was handling ignited.
The incident comes just days after a flash fire at the Magħtab landfill prompted WasteServ to warn about the dangers of improper waste disposal.
In a statement, WasteServ said: “A third-party operator suffered burn injuries today after entering a WasteServ site with bulky waste that was found to contain dangerous flares.
“While the material was being unloaded, one of the flares ignited, causing facial injuries to the individual involved.”
Photos provided indicate there was more than one flare dumped.
Flares burn at temperatures higher than 260 degrees Celsius and can ignite fires or cause significant injury upon impact. They can be safely disposed of, free-of-charge, and in specialised repositories at WasteServ civic amenity sites.
The state-owned waste management firm said it has reported the case to the police and investigations are under way.
“Pending the outcome of these investigations, WasteServ will be taking all necessary action to protect its facilities, employees, contractors and emergency responders. This includes refusing access to the individual and vehicle involved until further notice,” it said.
“The improper and illegal disposal of flammable and hazardous materials can place lives at immediate risk,” it warned.
On Wednesday, a flash fire at the Magħtab spread rapidly and required hours of work by Civil Protection Department to quell. Residents in nearby areas were warned to keep their windows closed due to a spike in air pollutants.
“These incidents show, in the clearest possible way, that irresponsible waste disposal is not a minor offence. Flares, batteries and other flammable materials can ignite without warning, endangering workers, emergency responders, nearby communities and the persons handling them,” WasteServ said.
“Hazardous or flammable materials must never be placed with bulky waste, black bags or other general waste streams. Anyone unsure about how to dispose of such material should seek guidance before transporting it to a waste facility.
“WasteServ employees and emergency responders should not be placed at risk because of irresponsible or unlawful disposal. Public cooperation is essential to prevent avoidable incidents and protect lives.”
The company has been warning about the dangers of improper waste disposal for years: in 2021 it noted that workers had found punctured gas canisters in black bag waste, in 2023 it warned of knives and carcasses and in December it published CCTV footage showing a truck driver dumping burning waste at Magħtab, sparking a fire.
Police pressed charges against that truck driver but he was acquitted by a court, which concluded CCTV evidence presented was not sufficient to identify him.