Man and a Van Hammersmith Health and Safety Policy
Man and a Van Hammersmith is committed to providing a professional, reliable and safe removal service. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to protecting the wellbeing of our employees, customers, visitors, contractors and members of the public who may be affected by our activities. Our aim is to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property during all moving, loading, transport and unloading operations.
Policy Objectives
The objectives of this Health and Safety Policy are to:
Promote a positive health and safety culture across all areas of our removal operations. Comply with relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry best practice. Identify, assess and control risks arising from our work activities. Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to our staff. Ensure that vehicles, equipment and work practices are safe and properly maintained. Continuously monitor and improve our health and safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
Management at Man and a Van Hammersmith has overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes:
Ensuring that adequate resources are made available to manage health and safety effectively. Setting clear health and safety standards, procedures and expectations. Conducting and reviewing risk assessments for removal, transport and associated activities. Ensuring that employees are competent, properly trained and medically fit for their roles. Providing and maintaining safe vehicles, equipment, tools and protective equipment. Investigating accidents, incidents and near misses and acting on findings.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees, including drivers, porters and administrative staff, share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. Employees are required to:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Follow all safety instructions, procedures and training provided by the company. Use vehicles, equipment and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects immediately. Cooperate with management on health and safety matters, including attending training and briefings. Report accidents, incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions without delay. Avoid horseplay, unsafe behaviour or working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
We carry out risk assessments for our core activities, including domestic and commercial removals, lifting and carrying items, operating trolleys, using lifting straps, loading and unloading vehicles and travelling between locations. These assessments consider hazards such as manual handling injuries, trips and falls, collisions, damage to property and risks associated with working in and around customers premises.
Safe systems of work are developed and communicated to staff. These may include guidance on planning access routes, using correct lifting techniques, team lifting of heavy or awkward items, securing loads in vehicles, maintaining clear walkways, and coordinating vehicle movements in busy areas. Where necessary, dynamic on-site risk assessments are carried out before work begins to account for specific conditions at each property or site.
Manual Handling and Lifting
Manual handling is a significant aspect of removal work. Man and a Van Hammersmith places strong emphasis on safe lifting practices, including:
Training staff in correct posture, team lifting and the use of handling aids. Assessing the weight, size and stability of items before moving them. Using trolleys, sack trucks, sliders and other equipment whenever reasonably practicable. Avoiding unnecessary lifting, twisting or overreaching. Planning routes to avoid steps and obstacles where possible and taking additional precautions for heavy or fragile items.
Vehicles and Driving Safety
Our vehicles are central to the services we provide and must be operated safely at all times. We ensure that:
Vehicles are regularly inspected, serviced and maintained to a safe standard. Drivers hold the appropriate licences and are competent for the type of vehicle they operate. Loads are distributed and secured safely to prevent movement during transit. Routes are planned to allow sufficient time for safe driving and to reduce stress and fatigue. Drivers comply with traffic laws, parking regulations and any site-specific safety rules.
Customer and Public Safety
We recognise our duty to protect customers and members of the public from risks arising from our activities in residential streets, commercial premises and shared access areas. To safeguard others, we:
Establish clear work areas and keep routes as free from obstructions as reasonably possible. Communicate with customers about any temporary access restrictions during loading and unloading. Take care when moving large items through shared spaces such as corridors, stairwells and communal entrances. Park vehicles safely and legally, minimising impact on pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
Training, Information and Supervision
Appropriate health and safety training is provided to all employees relevant to their roles. This may include induction training, manual handling, vehicle and driving safety, use of equipment, incident reporting and customer interaction. Information on specific job risks and safe working methods is provided before or during each job as required. Supervisors and experienced staff monitor work on site and provide guidance to ensure safe practices are followed.
Equipment, Tools and Personal Protective Equipment
All equipment and tools used for removal work are selected, maintained and used to minimise risk. Where personal protective equipment is required, such as gloves, high-visibility clothing or protective footwear, it is provided and must be worn and looked after by employees. Defective or damaged equipment must be taken out of use and reported so that repairs or replacements can be arranged.
Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses
All accidents, incidents and near misses are reported, recorded and, where appropriate, investigated. The purpose of investigations is to identify root causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence. Employees are encouraged to report hazards and near misses, even where no injury or damage has occurred, as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy is monitored on an ongoing basis and formally reviewed at regular intervals, or sooner if there are significant changes to our operations, legislation or industry guidance. Feedback from employees and customers, along with incident data and site observations, is used to improve our procedures and raise standards of safety in our removal services.
By working together in line with this policy, Man and a Van Hammersmith aims to provide a safe, efficient and professional removal service for every customer.
