Health and Safety Policy for Removals Finchley

Removals Finchley 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 removal and relocation activities. This Health and Safety policy sets out our approach to managing risks and promoting safe working practices across all moves we undertake.

Health and Safety Objectives

Our primary objective is to prevent injury and ill health arising from our work. We aim to identify, assess and control risks associated with manual handling, driving, loading and unloading, use of equipment, and work at customer premises. We will provide suitable information, instruction, training and supervision so that all employees can carry out their tasks safely and responsibly.

We are committed to ongoing improvement in our health and safety performance by regularly reviewing our procedures, learning from incidents and near misses, and updating our practices in line with industry standards.

Management Responsibilities

Senior management at Removals Finchley holds overall responsibility for the implementation of this Health and Safety policy. Management will ensure that adequate resources are made available to maintain safe systems of work, appropriate equipment and training, and suitable supervision for all staff.

Managers and supervisors must:

Promote a positive safety culture and lead by example, ensure safe working procedures are followed on every job, conduct and review risk assessments for removal tasks, vehicles and equipment, check that staff are competent and trained for the work they perform, investigate accidents, incidents and near misses, and implement corrective measures, and review this policy regularly and update it when required.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. Every member of staff is 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 instructions, procedures and training provided, use vehicles, tools and equipment only for their intended purpose and in a safe manner, report hazards, defects, near misses and incidents to their supervisor without delay, wear any personal protective equipment issued and look after it properly, and cooperate with management in implementing this policy and any related procedures.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Removals Finchley carries out risk assessments for typical removal activities and for any unusual or higher risk work. These assessments identify hazards such as heavy lifting, awkward access, traffic movement, trips and falls, and damage to property, and outline control measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

Risk assessments are reviewed periodically and whenever there is a significant change in our work practices, equipment or locations. From these assessments we develop safe systems of work which are communicated to staff through training, briefings and written instructions.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a core element of our work and a key area of risk. We seek to minimise manual lifting wherever reasonably practicable by using appropriate equipment and planning. Our approach includes:

Assessing the weight, size and shape of items before moving them, planning routes in advance, removing obstacles and ensuring clear access, using trolleys, dollies, barrows, straps and other lifting aids where suitable, ensuring loads are stable and secure before movement, always lifting with correct technique, and team lifting for heavy or bulky items, stopping and reassessing if a load feels unsafe or conditions change.

Use of Vehicles and Driving Safety

Our drivers and crews operate vehicles as part of our removal services and we take road safety seriously. We ensure that:

Vehicles are maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition and inspected regularly, drivers hold the appropriate licence and are competent for the vehicle and tasks, loads are evenly distributed, secured and within legal weight limits, routes are planned to allow for safe access to properties and minimal reversing, and drivers follow all traffic regulations and drive in a courteous and defensive manner.

Drivers must not drive while impaired by fatigue, alcohol, drugs or medication that may affect their ability to operate a vehicle safely.

Work at Customer Premises

Our teams often work in and around customer homes, offices and buildings. Before starting work, we assess the environment for hazards such as narrow stairways, poor lighting, uneven surfaces, traffic in shared areas and other site-specific issues.

We take care to protect property and people by using protective coverings where appropriate, cordoning off work areas when necessary, and communicating clearly with customers and other occupants about our movements and any temporary restrictions.

Equipment, Tools and Personal Protective Equipment

We provide suitable equipment and tools to carry out removal work safely. All equipment, including lifting aids and securing devices, is inspected regularly and removed from service if found defective.

Where indicated by risk assessment, personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety footwear or high-visibility clothing is provided. Employees must use and maintain this equipment correctly and report any damage or loss immediately.

Training, Information and Supervision

Removals Finchley provides training appropriate to each role, including induction training for new starters and task-specific training such as manual handling, safe use of lifting equipment and vehicle safety. Refresher training is provided when required or following changes to procedures.

Supervisors monitor work on site to ensure that safe practices are followed and that any issues are addressed promptly. Information about risks and control measures is communicated clearly to staff through briefings and documented procedures.

Accidents, Incidents and Near Misses

All accidents, incidents and near misses must be reported to management as soon as possible. We investigate these events to understand what happened, identify any underlying causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

Records of incidents and corrective actions are maintained and reviewed to monitor trends and support continuous improvement in health and safety performance.

Policy Review and Communication

This Health and Safety policy is communicated to all employees and is available to customers and other interested parties on request. The policy is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in legislation, industry best practice or our own working methods.

By working together and following this policy, Removals Finchley aims to ensure that all removal activities are carried out in a safe, professional and responsible manner for the benefit of our staff, our customers and the wider community.