Health and Safety policy

Man With a Van Lambeth Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van Lambeth is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our removals and transport services. We recognise our responsibilities under relevant health and safety law and aim to exceed basic legal requirements wherever reasonably practicable.

Policy Aims

The purpose of this policy is to set out how we manage health and safety across all moving and transport activities. Our aims are to prevent injury and ill health, protect property, safeguard the environment in which we operate, and promote a positive safety culture throughout the business.

We will continually review and improve our systems to ensure our services are delivered safely and professionally, whether we are handling small moves, larger relocations or multi-van jobs.

Management Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with the company management. Management will provide clear leadership, set high standards, and allocate sufficient resources for the effective implementation of this policy. This includes ensuring that suitable risk assessments, safe working procedures and appropriate training are in place for all removal and transport tasks.

Managers and supervisors must lead by example, promote safe practices when loading, unloading, driving and handling goods, and intervene promptly where unsafe acts or conditions are identified.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. Staff must follow all safe systems of work, attend training as required, use equipment properly, and immediately report hazards, incidents or near misses to management.

Employees are expected to cooperate fully with the implementation of this policy, including adhering to guidance on manual handling, vehicle safety, use of personal protective equipment, and housekeeping at clients' properties and in vehicles.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We will identify and assess the risks associated with our activities, including lifting and carrying, stair work, use of trolleys and ramps, securing loads, and operating in residential streets and commercial areas. Risk assessments will be reviewed regularly and whenever working practices, equipment or locations change.

From these assessments we will develop and maintain clear safe working practices covering planning of moves, access checks, lifting techniques, working on uneven or restricted sites, and protecting customers' belongings and property while maintaining safe movement routes for staff and third parties.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is a core element of our removals work. We will minimise the need for hazardous manual handling as far as reasonably practicable by using mechanical aids, team lifting and careful planning of loading routes and sequences.

All staff will receive training in correct lifting and carrying techniques, including how to assess weight and shape of loads, communication in team lifts, and when to stop a task that is unsafe. We will ensure that trolleys, dollies, lifting straps, ramps and other handling equipment are suitable for their intended use, maintained in good condition, and used only by trained personnel.

Vehicle and Driving Safety

Our vehicles are central to our service and must be operated safely at all times. We will ensure that vehicles are roadworthy, regularly inspected, and maintained in line with manufacturer guidance and legal requirements.

Drivers must hold appropriate licences, obey traffic laws, drive considerately in built-up areas, and avoid unsafe manoeuvres when parking or loading. Loads must be secured to prevent movement during transit and doors and ramps must be used safely to protect both staff and the public. Drivers must not operate vehicles when tired, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or in any condition that could compromise safety.

Customer and Public Safety

We recognise that our work often takes place in residential streets, shared access areas and busy commercial environments. We will take all reasonable steps to protect customers, neighbours, pedestrians and other road users from risk arising from our activities.

This includes maintaining clear walkways, controlling access to loading areas where possible, using warning signs or verbal warnings when carrying bulky items in public spaces, and positioning vehicles to minimise obstruction and danger.

Training, Instruction and Supervision

We will provide appropriate health and safety training for all employees, including induction training for new starters and refresher training where needed. Topics include manual handling, safe loading and unloading, handling fragile or heavy items, vehicle safety, and emergency procedures.

Supervision levels will reflect the complexity and risk of the work undertaken. Less experienced staff will be closely supervised until they have demonstrated competence in safe working methods.

Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents, near misses and cases of work-related ill health must be reported to management as soon as possible. We will record and, where required, investigate such events to identify root causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

We encourage open reporting without blame so that lessons can be learned and safety performance can continually improve.

Health, Welfare and Fitness for Work

Removals work can be physically demanding. We will consider the physical capabilities of staff when allocating tasks and support employees in maintaining fitness for work. Where relevant, we will take reasonable steps to adjust tasks or introduce additional controls to protect the health of employees with specific medical needs.

Staff must inform management if they are unfit for particular tasks so that work can be planned safely and without undue risk.

Emergency Preparedness

We will maintain procedures for responding to emergencies such as accidents, vehicle collisions, property damage, fire risk and sudden illness at work. Employees will be briefed on what to do in an emergency, including how to make areas safe, contact the appropriate services and notify management.

Monitoring, Review and Policy Communication

We will monitor our health and safety performance through regular reviews of incidents, feedback from staff and customers, and checks on working practices and equipment. This policy and associated procedures will be reviewed periodically and updated when necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance or the nature of our services.

This health and safety policy is communicated to all employees and made available to customers who wish to understand how Man With a Van Lambeth manages health and safety during removal and transport work.