Man With a Van New Addington Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van New Addington is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our workers, customers, visitors and members of the public affected by our activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with our man and van and removal services, including loading, transport and delivery of goods in homes, offices and commercial properties.

Policy Statement and Objectives

Our objective is to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment arising from our operations. We will take all reasonably practicable measures to:

Identify, assess and control risks associated with lifting, carrying, driving, loading and unloading.
Provide and maintain safe vehicles, equipment and working methods.
Ensure that workers are competent, trained and supervised.
Promote a positive safety culture and encourage the reporting of hazards and near misses.
Comply with all applicable health and safety legislation and recognised industry best practice for removal and transport services.

Management Responsibilities

Management has overall responsibility for implementing this Health and Safety Policy and for the continuous improvement of our safety standards. Management will:

Regularly review health and safety risks linked to removals, furniture moving and van operations.
Provide adequate resources for training, equipment maintenance and safety improvements.
Ensure that risk assessments and safe systems of work are in place for key tasks such as manual handling, use of trolleys and loading ramps, and securing loads in vans.
Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses, and take corrective action to prevent recurrence.
Consult workers on health and safety matters and act on their feedback.

Worker Responsibilities

All workers, including drivers, removal operatives and subcontractors, share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. They are expected to:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.
Follow all safety procedures, risk assessments and instructions provided by management.
Use equipment correctly and report any defects, unsafe conditions or hazards immediately.
Wear suitable clothing and, where provided, appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves and safety footwear.
Refrain from horseplay, substance misuse or any behaviour that could endanger themselves or others while carrying out removal services.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We carry out risk assessments for our core activities, including house moves, flat moves, office relocations and light commercial transport. These assessments consider hazards such as heavy lifting, awkward access, stairs, confined spaces, traffic movement and weather conditions.

From these assessments, we develop safe working practices to guide our teams. These include planning routes to minimise driving risks, checking parking and access arrangements, assessing the safest ways to move items, and using appropriate lifting techniques and equipment.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a key part of our work and is managed carefully to reduce the risk of strains, sprains and other injuries. Our approach includes:

Training workers in correct lifting, carrying and team-handling methods.
Planning moves so that heavy or bulky items are shared between workers where practicable.
Using trolleys, dollies, sliders and other aids to minimise manual effort.
Avoiding unnecessary lifting by loading directly from doorways where possible.
Encouraging workers to speak up if they consider an item too heavy, awkward or unsafe to move without assistance or alternative equipment.

Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards

Our vans are central to our service and are maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition. We ensure that:

Vehicles are inspected regularly and serviced in line with manufacturer recommendations.
Loads are distributed evenly and secured to prevent shifting during transit.
Drivers follow safe driving practices, observe speed limits and adjust their driving to road, traffic and weather conditions.
Drivers take sufficient breaks to avoid fatigue and remain alert.
Parking and unloading are carried out with care, considering pedestrians, other road users and local restrictions.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

We recognise our responsibility to work safely in and around customer homes, business premises and public spaces. To protect customers and the public, we will:

Plan access routes through properties to minimise risk of trips, slips and collisions.
Keep work areas as tidy as possible, managing trailing straps, boxes and packing materials.
Use door wedges or other methods to prevent doors from slamming or causing injury where appropriate.
Communicate clearly with customers about any temporary obstructions or hazards during the move.
Take care to avoid damage to property, fixtures and fittings while moving items.

Training, Information and Supervision

We provide appropriate training and information to ensure that everyone understands their health and safety responsibilities. This may include:

Induction training on company safety rules and procedures.
Manual handling and lifting technique training.
Vehicle safety and load securing practices.
Guidance on working in domestic and commercial environments safely.

Supervision is provided in proportion to the experience and competence of each worker, with particular attention given to new starters or those undertaking unfamiliar tasks.

Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported promptly to management. We will:

Record details of incidents to help identify trends and areas for improvement.
Provide basic first aid provisions within vehicles and at our base where applicable.
Ensure workers know what to do in an emergency, including calling the emergency services and making areas safe.

Policy Review

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly, and whenever there are significant changes to our activities, equipment or legal requirements. Updates will be communicated to all workers, and the current version will be made available to customers on request.

By following this policy and working together, Man With a Van New Addington aims to deliver reliable removal and transport services while protecting the health, safety and welfare of everyone involved.