Health and Safety Policy for Man with Van West Wickham
Man with Van West Wickham is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our staff, customers, members of the public and anyone else affected by our removal and man and van services. This Health and Safety policy sets out our approach to managing risks, preventing accidents and ensuring that all work is carried out safely and responsibly.
Our Health and Safety Responsibilities
We recognise our duty to comply with relevant health and safety laws and regulations and to follow industry best practice in the removals and transport sector. We will take all reasonably practicable steps to protect people from harm arising from our activities, including household moves, small office relocations and collection or delivery of items.
Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with the company management, who ensure that safe systems of work are in place, that staff receive appropriate information, instruction and training, and that necessary equipment is provided and properly maintained.
Duties of Employees and Contractors
Every worker, including drivers and porters, shares responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. All staff must:
Follow the safety procedures and guidance provided by the company.
Use vehicles, tools and moving equipment safely and only for their intended purpose.
Report hazards, accidents, near misses and any health or safety concerns to management without delay.
Cooperate with any health and safety instructions, training or risk control measures put in place.
Not attempt tasks that they are not trained or physically able to carry out safely.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
We assess risks associated with our work, including manual handling of furniture and boxes, loading and unloading vehicles, driving, parking and working in customers premises. Where significant risks are identified, we implement control measures to reduce the likelihood of injury or damage.
Before starting any job, our team will:
Consider access routes, stairs, lifts, doorways and external paths to identify any potential hazards.
Plan the lift, route and order of loading to minimise unnecessary handling and avoid overloading individuals.
Decide whether more staff, additional equipment or an alternative approach is required to manage bulky or heavy items.
Where conditions on site are unsafe, our team may delay, adjust or refuse work until risks can be properly controlled.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is a key part of removal work, so it is essential that it is managed safely. Our workers are instructed to:
Assess the weight, shape and stability of items before lifting.
Use safe lifting techniques, keeping loads close to the body and avoiding twisting or sudden movements.
Ask for help or use equipment such as trolleys and dollies for heavy or awkward loads.
Break down loads into smaller, manageable pieces where possible.
Wear appropriate footwear and clothing that provides grip, support and freedom of movement.
We ensure that any equipment we provide is suitable for the task, properly maintained and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and our own safe working procedures.
Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards
Our vehicles are critical to our service and must be operated safely at all times. We will:
Maintain vehicles in a roadworthy condition, with regular checks and servicing.
Ensure loads are distributed evenly and securely to prevent movement or instability during transit.
Require drivers to observe all road traffic laws, speed limits and parking restrictions, and to drive in a safe and considerate manner.
Discourage rushing or unsafe manoeuvres, even when under time pressure.
Drivers must not operate vehicles under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any substance that could impair their ability to drive safely.
Customer Premises and Public Safety
We recognise that our work often takes place in homes, residential streets and commercial premises where members of the public may be present. Our teams will:
Work carefully to avoid damage to property, fittings, fixtures, floors and walls.
Keep access routes as clear as reasonably possible, reducing trip hazards from boxes, tools and packing materials.
Use caution when moving large items through doorways and common areas to prevent injury to others.
Be mindful of noise, obstructing paths and any impact on neighbours or nearby businesses.
When necessary, we may temporarily restrict access to certain areas while heavy items are being moved to protect people from harm.
Customer Responsibilities and Cooperation
Safe removals depend on cooperation between our team and our customers. We ask customers to:
Provide accurate information about access, parking arrangements, heavy or unusual items and any known hazards at the property.
Ensure that driveways, walkways and internal routes are as clear as possible before our team arrives.
Pack items securely in suitable boxes or containers, avoiding overloading and marking fragile or delicate goods where appropriate.
Keep children, pets and other household members away from the immediate work area while lifting and loading is taking place.
Follow any reasonable safety advice or requests from our staff during the job.
Training, Supervision and Competence
We provide our staff with appropriate information and instruction relevant to their roles, including safe lifting techniques, vehicle loading, dealing with challenging access and maintaining professional standards at customer sites. New workers may be supervised by more experienced team members until they are competent to perform tasks independently and safely.
We review training needs regularly and update our guidance where work practices, equipment or regulations change.
Accident Reporting and Continuous Improvement
All accidents, injuries, near misses and significant incidents must be reported to management as soon as possible. We record these events, investigate the causes and take action to prevent recurrence where reasonably practicable.
Feedback from staff and customers about safety issues is welcomed and helps us improve our procedures. We keep this Health and Safety policy under regular review to ensure it remains effective, up to date and suitable for the type of removal and man and van services we provide.
Policy Review
This Health and Safety policy is reviewed periodically and whenever there are major changes to our operations, services or legal requirements. The latest version is made available to staff and customers on request and reflects our ongoing commitment to safe, reliable and responsible removals throughout our service area.
