An east London council on Friday issued an urgent warning after a bin lorry explosion resulted in a refuse worker being rushed to hospital.
Newham town hall has told residents that some rubbish items "pose a serious risk when thrown into regular household waste or recycling bins" after an empty gas canister started a fire.
Footage from the bin lorry shows the moment an empty gas bottle, which had been thrown in a waste bin, ignited leading to an explosion that injured a crew member on August 16.
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Newham's cabinet member for environment, sustainable transport, and education, said: "The recent explosion in one of our waste collection vehicles, which resulted in a member of our crew being rushed to the hospital with dizziness and hearing issues, is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by improperly disposed dangerous items.
"We are grateful that our staff member is now recovering, but this incident could have been much worse.
“We all need to be aware that items like vapes, electrical items, batteries, gas canisters and bottles do not belong in household waste or recycling bins.
"These items can cause fires, explosions, serious injuries, putting both our waste management teams and the wider community at risk.
“I urge everyone to be proactive and responsible, by taking these dangerous items to appropriate recycling locations. We need to work together to responsibly dispose of dangerous waste safely.”
It comes after refuse workers in north London had a narrow escape when a bin lorry exploded.
Seconds later, as he begins wheeling the empty bin away, a huge explosion from inside the lorry fired rubbish across the street and sent smoke erupting into the air.
The explosion blasted the bin from the hands of the refuse worker, but he and his colleagues escaped unharmed.
Barnet Council said the blast was caused when combustible items such gas canisters or bottles, batteries or aerosols - which had wrongly been placed into a residential bin - were crushed by the lorry’s impactor.
