Terrifying video shows moment item in bin explodes sending its contents flying - narrowly missing bin men

Terrifying footage shows the moment an item in a bin explodes, sending its contents flying, narrowly missing bin men as they load rubbish into a lorry.

Barnet Council say the explosion was caused by combustible items such as gas canisters or bottles, batteries or aerosols being wrongly put in a residential bin. When the items were crushed by the lorry’s impactor, the bin and other debris flew out into the street.

The incident follows one earlier this year when a set of lithium batteries caught light and burned a hole in the side of a bin lorry.

Barnet Council say combustible waste should not be placed in waste bins, and should be recycled at a local recycling centre. Otherwise, they can be refilled and reused, or returned to the seller for future use.

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Barnet Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “The video is incredibly shocking, and we’re relieved that the crew members escaped unharmed.

“I hope this helps people to understand how important it is to properly recycle items such as gas canisters and bottles, batteries and aerosols, as on another day we might not have been so lucky.”