Health and Safety policy

Man with Van Acton Health And Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy explains how Man with Van Acton manages the safety, welfare and health of employees, contractors, customers and members of the public during all moving and removal activities. Our aim is to provide a professional man and van service that is carried out safely, responsibly and in accordance with applicable health and safety law.

Health and Safety Objectives

Our primary objective is to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and avoidable disruption during removal work. We achieve this by assessing risks, planning tasks carefully, providing appropriate training and equipment and encouraging a culture of safety awareness across our team.

Management is responsible for implementing this policy and for ensuring that all activities connected with our man and van and removal services are carried out safely. All workers and contractors are required to follow the procedures described in this policy.

Legal Duties and Responsibilities

Man with Van Acton complies with relevant health and safety legislation and associated regulations. We recognise our duty to:

Provide and maintain a safe working environment for our team and others who may be affected by our activities. Supply safe vehicles, tools and equipment for all removal and transport tasks. Offer information, instruction, supervision and training so that work can be carried out safely. Assess risks before work begins and put controls in place to reduce them as far as reasonably practicable.

Every employee and contractor has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of other people who may be affected by what they do or fail to do. They must follow instructions, use equipment correctly and report any hazards or incidents without delay.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

We conduct risk assessments for typical removal and transport activities, including packing, loading, unloading and driving. Where a job presents unusual or higher risks, we carry out additional site-specific assessments before work begins.

The findings of these assessments are used to develop safe systems of work, which may include specifying the number of people required for an item, the type of equipment that must be used, the safest route for moving items, vehicle loading limits and housekeeping standards to keep access routes clear.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a significant part of any man and van or removal service, so particular care is taken to reduce the risk of injury. We aim to avoid unnecessary manual lifting by planning the work and using equipment such as trolleys, dollies and lifting straps wherever reasonably possible.

Our team members receive guidance on safe lifting techniques, including assessing the load, avoiding twisting, sharing heavy loads between two or more people and stopping work if an item is too heavy or awkward to move safely. No employee or contractor is required to lift or carry anything that they believe may cause injury.

Use and Maintenance of Vehicles and Equipment

All vans and vehicles used in our removal service are maintained to a safe standard. Regular checks are carried out on tyres, lights, brakes, mirrors, securing points and tail lifts where fitted. Any defects are reported immediately and the vehicle is not used until it is safe.

Equipment such as trolleys, ramps, blankets and securing straps is inspected and maintained to ensure it remains suitable and safe. Team members are trained to use this equipment correctly, including how to secure loads in transit to reduce movement and prevent damage or accidents while driving.

Safe Driving and Road Safety

Our drivers are expected to drive safely, follow road traffic laws and adopt defensive driving techniques. Journey planning is used to allow sufficient time for loading, travel and unloading, so that drivers are not encouraged to rush or take unnecessary risks.

Drivers must not use handheld mobile phones while driving and should avoid any distractions that could compromise safety. Fatigue is managed through reasonable scheduling, regular breaks and sensible workload planning.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

We take care to protect customers, neighbours and the general public during removal activities. This includes keeping walkways and entrances as clear as possible, using safe lifting routes, controlling vehicle movements near entrances and driveways, and communicating with customers about any temporary access restrictions.

Where necessary, we may use warning signs, verbal instructions or physical barriers to keep people away from hazardous areas while loading or unloading is in progress.

Training, Information and Supervision

All new staff and contractors are given an introduction to our health and safety expectations and safe working procedures. Ongoing training is provided where required to cover manual handling, use of equipment, vehicle safety and incident reporting.

Supervisors and responsible team members monitor working practices on site to ensure procedures are followed and to correct unsafe behaviour. Where we work with third parties or subcontractors, they are required to meet equivalent health and safety standards.

Accident, Incident and Near-Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents and near misses, however minor, must be reported to management as soon as possible. This allows us to investigate what happened, take any necessary corrective action and review whether changes are needed to our procedures or equipment.

Records of incidents are kept and reviewed periodically to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement. Where required by law, accidents and dangerous occurrences are reported to the relevant authorities.

Welfare, Health and Wellbeing

We recognise that removals work can be physically demanding. We encourage sensible working practices that support the health and wellbeing of our team, including regular breaks, hydration, weather-appropriate clothing and seeking medical advice when needed.

Any team member who is unfit to work due to illness, injury, medication or any other reason must inform management and must not carry out tasks that could put themselves or others at risk.

Continuous Improvement and Policy Review

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary, for example after changes in legislation, significant incidents, or developments in our services or working methods. Feedback from employees, contractors and customers is welcomed as part of our commitment to continual improvement.

By working together and following the principles set out in this policy, Man with Van Acton aims to deliver efficient, reliable and safe removal services throughout our operating area.