Health and Safety Policy for Man With a Van Battersea

Man With a Van Battersea is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, customers and members of the public. This Health and Safety policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with our removal and transport services, including home moves, office relocations and collection and delivery work.

Our objectives are to prevent accidents and work-related ill health, protect property and goods in our care, and ensure that all removal and transport tasks are carried out safely and professionally.

Management Responsibilities

The management of Man With a Van Battersea accepts overall responsibility for health and safety and will ensure that appropriate resources are made available to implement and maintain this policy. Management will regularly review health and safety performance and take action to remedy any shortcomings.

Managers and supervisors are responsible for:

Ensuring that work is planned and organised with safety in mind, particularly for lifting, loading, driving and access to premises.

Providing staff with suitable information, instruction and training on safe working practices and the correct use of equipment and vehicles.

Carrying out and updating risk assessments for typical removal and transport activities, and implementing necessary control measures.

Investigating accidents and incidents to identify causes and prevent recurrence.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees, operatives and contractors working on behalf of Man With a Van Battersea have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. They are required to:

Follow the instructions, procedures and training provided for safe lifting, loading, driving and handling of goods.

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

Report all accidents, near misses, injuries and unsafe conditions to management without delay.

Cooperate with management in implementing and maintaining safe systems of work.

Refrain from any acts or omissions that could endanger themselves, colleagues, customers or the public.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

We will identify and assess the significant risks associated with our removal and transport activities, including manual handling, working in customers premises, loading and unloading vehicles, driving and parking, and handling awkward or heavy items.

Risk assessments will be used to create safe systems of work, which may include:

Planning routes to minimise driving risks and ensure safe access to collection and delivery locations.

Assessing access routes, stairs, lifts and doorways at customer properties before moving large or heavy items.

Using appropriate lifting techniques, team lifts, trolleys, skates or other handling aids where necessary.

Ensuring vehicles are loaded securely, evenly and within safe weight limits, with loads restrained to prevent movement.

Adapting work methods where there are additional risks, for example in poor weather, limited access, or when working in busy public areas.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a core part of removal work and is a significant potential source of injury. To reduce these risks:

Staff will receive training in correct lifting and carrying techniques, including how to assess loads before moving them.

Heavy or bulky items will be moved by more than one person, or with suitable mechanical aids, where appropriate.

Where practicable, items will be disassembled into smaller components to make handling safer.

Staff are required to avoid manual handling tasks that they believe are unsafe and must request assistance or alternative methods.

Vehicles and Driving Safety

Safe operation of vehicles is essential to protect our team, customers and other road users. We will ensure that:

All drivers are competent, licensed and fit to drive.

Vehicles are regularly inspected, serviced and maintained in safe working order.

Loads are secured correctly, and vehicles are not overloaded.

Drivers follow all road traffic laws, drive with due care and attention, and allow sufficient time for journeys.

Mobile phones and devices are only used in a safe and legal manner, never hand-held while driving.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

Our work often takes place in homes, offices and shared spaces. We will take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of customers, visitors and the public by:

Planning moves to minimise obstruction to entrances, corridors and public areas.

Taking care with doors, lifts, stairways and shared access routes.

Keeping work areas as tidy as practicable, with cables, packaging and equipment kept clear of walkways.

Using safe methods to move items in and out of properties, taking account of other people nearby.

Respecting customer property and reporting any incidents or damage immediately.

Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment

We will provide suitable equipment and personal protective equipment where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means. This may include gloves, footwear with protective toecaps, high visibility clothing, and handling aids such as sack trucks and removal straps.

All equipment will be maintained in good condition, and employees must use it in accordance with training and instructions.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man With a Van Battersea will ensure that all staff receive appropriate health and safety induction and job-specific training, including safe lifting practices, correct use of equipment, vehicle safety and customer care.

Where necessary, work will be supervised to ensure that safe systems are followed, particularly for complex or higher risk moves.

Accident Reporting and Policy Review

All accidents, incidents and near misses must be reported so that they can be recorded, investigated and used to improve our safety performance. Records will be kept in accordance with legal requirements.

This Health and Safety policy will be reviewed regularly, and updated when there are changes in legislation, our operations, or following significant incidents. Any changes will be communicated to staff and contractors so that everyone understands their responsibilities and the standards expected.

By working together to follow this policy, Man With a Van Battersea aims to maintain a safe and professional removal and transport service for all customers and employees.