Health and Safety policy

Man with Van Ealing Health and Safety Policy

Man with Van Ealing 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 activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our aims, responsibilities and working practices to prevent injury, protect property, and promote safe working standards in all removal and delivery operations.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

We aim to manage health and safety as an integral part of our day-to-day removals and transport services. Our objectives include:

Identifying and controlling significant risks arising from our work activities. Providing safe systems of work for lifting, loading, unloading and transporting items. Supplying and maintaining suitable equipment and vehicles in safe working condition. Ensuring all team members are competent, properly trained and supervised. Reducing incidents, accidents, near misses and damage to property. Encouraging a positive health and safety culture throughout the company.

Management Responsibilities

Company management is responsible for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes:

Ensuring that health and safety considerations are built into all planning for removals, collections and deliveries. Providing appropriate resources for training, equipment and protective measures. Reviewing risk assessments and work procedures at regular intervals or following any significant change in operations. Investigating work-related incidents and near misses promptly and thoroughly, and implementing corrective actions where required. Monitoring performance to ensure that our standards are maintained and improved where possible.

Employee Responsibilities

Every member of the Man with Van Ealing team has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Employees must:

Follow all safety instructions, procedures and training they have received. Use equipment, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects immediately. Avoid taking shortcuts that could create risk for themselves, their colleagues, customers or the public. Report hazards, unsafe conditions, accidents and near misses to management without delay. Co operate with management on all matters relating to health and safety and participate in any training or briefings provided.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Before undertaking any significant removal or transport task, we assess the risks involved and plan the work to minimise hazards. This includes considering access routes, parking, loading and unloading areas, stairways, doorways and any unusual items or conditions at the property or site.

We adopt safe systems of work that cover manual handling, use of equipment, stacking and securing loads, and vehicle movements. Team members are briefed on these systems and are expected to follow them consistently. Where a job presents particular challenges, the supervisor or driver will review the situation and adjust the work method, or postpone the task if it cannot be carried out safely.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is at the core of our removals and delivery services, and it presents one of the greatest areas of risk. To reduce the likelihood of injury:

We provide training on safe lifting techniques, including team lifts for heavy or bulky items. We use handling aids such as trolleys, dollies and straps where appropriate. We plan routes in advance to minimise carrying distances and avoid unnecessary obstacles. We assess each item for weight, size and stability before moving it. We encourage team members to stop and seek assistance whenever they feel an item is too heavy or awkward to move safely.

Vehicle and Driving Safety

Our vehicles are central to our work, and their safe operation is essential. Man with Van Ealing will:

Ensure that all drivers hold the appropriate licences and are competent to operate the vehicles they drive. Carry out regular checks and maintenance on vehicles to keep them in a safe and roadworthy condition. Require drivers to complete pre use checks and report any faults immediately. Secure all loads correctly to prevent movement, damage or risk to road users. Encourage safe driving practices and compliance with road traffic laws, including speed limits, parking restrictions and loading rules.

Use of Equipment and Protective Measures

All equipment used during removals or deliveries will be suitable for its purpose and maintained in good working order. Team members are trained in the correct use of any lifting equipment or handling aids. Where necessary, personal protective equipment, such as gloves or safety footwear, is provided and must be worn as instructed.

We do not use damaged, faulty or improvised equipment. Any such items are taken out of service and replaced or repaired before further use.

Customer and Public Safety

We recognise our responsibility to protect customers and members of the public while we are working in homes, business premises and on public roads. Measures to safeguard others include:

Maintaining clear walkways and keeping tools and equipment tidy. Using warning signs or verbal warnings where there is a risk of trip hazards, moving loads or vehicle manoeuvres. Taking care when opening vehicle doors, moving large items and working near entrances, driveways and pavements. Respecting property and minimising disruption while carrying out removals or deliveries.

Training, Communication and Consultation

Training is provided to all employees to ensure they understand their responsibilities and can work safely. This includes induction training for new starters and refresher training as required. Topics may include manual handling, vehicle safety, use of equipment, incident reporting and emergency procedures.

We encourage open communication on health and safety matters. Employees are invited to raise concerns, suggest improvements and share experiences that can help us prevent incidents and improve our practices.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. We record and, where necessary, investigate these events to understand causes and prevent recurrence.

Emergency procedures are established for situations such as fire, serious injury, vehicle collisions and hazardous conditions. Employees are briefed on how to respond, including when to stop work, how to alert others and how to contact emergency services.

Review of this Policy

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant to our operations and reflects any changes in legislation, industry best practice or the nature of our work. Updates are communicated to all employees and incorporated into our working procedures.

By following this policy, Man with Van Ealing seeks to maintain a safe, professional and reliable removal and transport service for customers across our service area while protecting the wellbeing of everyone involved in our operations.