Health and Safety policy

Health and Safety Policy for Man with Van Highbury

This Health and Safety Policy sets out how Man with Van Highbury manages the safety and wellbeing of employees, contractors, customers and members of the public during all removal and transport activities. Our aim is to provide a safe working environment and to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property while delivering reliable moving services.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Man with Van Highbury is committed to maintaining high standards of health and safety throughout all stages of our work, from planning and loading to transport and delivery. We will identify and control risks associated with lifting, carrying, driving, loading and unloading, and working at and around customers premises.

We will review and improve our procedures regularly, taking into account feedback from staff, customers and any changes in legislation or industry best practice related to removal and transportation services.

Management Responsibilities

Management is responsible for implementing and maintaining this policy, and for providing the resources and support needed to achieve safe working conditions. This includes:

Ensuring that risk assessments are carried out for common tasks such as lifting heavy items, navigating stairs and narrow corridors, and securing loads in vehicles.

Providing suitable equipment such as trolleys, straps, blankets and other protective materials to ensure safe handling and transport.

Ensuring that vehicles used for removal services are roadworthy, maintained and suitable for the loads being carried.

Making sure that employees receive appropriate training, supervision and information on safe working methods.

Investigating any accidents, near misses or incidents and taking corrective action to prevent recurrence.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees and contractors working with Man with Van Highbury share responsibility for maintaining safe working conditions. They are expected to:

Follow the health and safety procedures and instructions provided by the company.

Use equipment, vehicles and protective gear correctly and report any defects immediately.

Adopt safe manual handling techniques, avoid taking unnecessary risks and request assistance with heavy or awkward items.

Report hazards, near misses, incidents and injuries to management as soon as possible.

Cooperate with any investigations, audits or training related to health and safety.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Man with Van Highbury will assess risks associated with typical removal and transport tasks and will implement safe systems of work. Key areas of focus include:

Manual handling, including safe lifting, carrying and team lifting of heavy or bulky furniture and boxes.

Movement through stairways, corridors, entrances and other confined or uneven spaces.

Loading and unloading vehicles, ensuring stability of items and secure placement to prevent movement during transit.

Driving and parking, including safe route planning and positioning of vehicles to minimise risk to staff, customers and other road users.

Working in and around customers homes and business premises, with care taken to protect people, surfaces and property.

Where necessary, site-specific assessments will be made, and additional control measures introduced to address particular hazards.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Due to the nature of our services, manual handling is a significant part of our work and a key focus of this policy. To reduce the risk of injury:

Staff will receive instruction on correct lifting techniques and team handling.

Where possible, lifting will be avoided by using trolleys, sliders or other handling aids.

Loads will be assessed before moving to determine weight, size, stability and potential hazards.

Staff will not be expected to move items that they believe to be unsafe without additional support, equipment or a revised plan.

Vehicles and Driving Safety

Vehicles are central to our removal operations and must be used safely. Man with Van Highbury will:

Ensure that vehicles are inspected and maintained according to a regular schedule.

Make sure that drivers hold the appropriate licence, are competent and understand their responsibilities.

Provide guidance on safe driving, including adherence to speed limits, defensive driving and consideration for other road users.

Require that loads are properly distributed and secured within vehicles to prevent shifting or damage during transit.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

Our teams often work in and around occupied homes, workplaces and public spaces. To protect customers and the public:

Work areas will be organised to minimise trip hazards from boxes, tools and packing materials.

Access routes will be kept as clear as reasonably practicable.

Particular care will be taken when moving large items through shared access ways, entrances and pavements.

Where appropriate, customers will be informed of any restrictions or temporary hazards during loading and unloading.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man with Van Highbury will provide appropriate training and instruction so that employees understand the risks involved in their work and the controls in place to manage those risks. This may include:

Induction training covering general health and safety responsibilities.

Manual handling training, including safe lifting and carrying methods.

Instruction on vehicle loading, securing loads, and safe driving practices.

Guidance on working safely at customers premises and protecting property.

Supervision will be provided where necessary to ensure that safe systems of work are followed.

Accidents, Incidents and First Aid

All accidents, injuries and near misses must be reported to management at the earliest opportunity. Man with Van Highbury will:

Record details of incidents in an internal log.

Investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.

Review findings and update risk assessments and procedures when needed.

Ensure that basic first aid supplies are available in vehicles or at operational bases, so that minor injuries can be treated promptly.

Policy Review and Continuous Improvement

This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in our operations, legal requirements or best practice guidance. Employees will be informed of significant changes and are encouraged to contribute suggestions that may improve safety performance.

By working together and following this policy, Man with Van Highbury aims to ensure that all removal and transport activities are carried out as safely as reasonably practicable, protecting our staff, customers, the public and property.