Man With a Van Queensbury Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van Queensbury is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, subcontractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and transport activities. We aim to manage health and safety risks systematically and to integrate safe working practices into every stage of our man and van and removals services.

Policy Aims and Objectives

The purpose of this Health and Safety Policy is to set out our approach to preventing accidents, injuries and work-related ill health. Our objectives are to identify and control hazards associated with moving, lifting, loading, unloading and transporting goods, and to maintain safe conditions in vehicles, at customer premises and any other locations where we operate.

We will review this policy regularly and update our procedures as our business, services or legislation changes, and where necessary to reflect lessons learned from incidents or near misses.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man With a Van Queensbury is responsible for providing clear leadership on health and safety matters and for ensuring that adequate resources are available to implement this policy. This includes providing safe equipment, appropriate protective gear where required, information, instruction, and suitable training for all staff and regular workers.

Managers will ensure that risk assessments are completed for typical removal and delivery activities and that any required control measures are communicated and applied. They are also responsible for monitoring compliance with this policy and taking prompt action when safety concerns are raised.

Employee Responsibilities

All workers, including drivers, porters and subcontractors, have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Everyone working for Man With a Van Queensbury is required to:

Follow all safety instructions and procedures, use equipment correctly, and avoid taking unnecessary risks during lifting, carrying, loading and unloading tasks.

Report any accidents, incidents, near misses, hazards, defects or unsafe practices to management as soon as possible.

Attend any health and safety briefings or training sessions provided by the company and apply the knowledge gained in daily work.

Cooperate fully with management in meeting legal and company safety requirements.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

We will undertake and maintain suitable and proportionate risk assessments for the core activities involved in our removal services, including manual handling, use of vehicles, loading and securing of loads, and working at or near customers homes, offices and storage locations.

Where risks are identified, we will implement control measures such as planning access routes, limiting load weights where practical, using appropriate handling aids, and agreeing safe loading points with customers. Staff are expected to follow the safe systems of work identified in these assessments.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a core part of our services, and we place particular emphasis on safe lifting techniques and the avoidance of excessive strain. Wherever reasonably practicable, we will:

Encourage team lifting for heavy or awkward items and avoid single-person lifts for large or unstable loads.

Use suitable equipment such as sack trucks, dollies, skates and straps to reduce manual effort and the risk of musculoskeletal injury.

Plan the route before moving large items, checking for obstructions, trip hazards, uneven surfaces, tight corners and stairways.

Provide guidance and instruction on proper lifting posture, including bending the knees, keeping the back as straight as possible and keeping loads close to the body.

Vehicle Safety and Load Security

All vehicles used by Man With a Van Queensbury will be maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition. Drivers are responsible for carrying out basic pre-use checks and reporting defects promptly so that timely repairs can be arranged.

Loads will be positioned and secured in vehicles to minimise movement during transit, using appropriate restraints, straps and protective materials. Heavy items will be placed low and evenly distributed to maintain vehicle stability. Drivers and porters must ensure that doors and loading ramps are operated safely and closed securely before departure.

Working at Customer Premises

Our staff often operate within customer homes, offices and other premises. To ensure safety in these environments, we will:

Take reasonable steps to identify hazards on arrival, such as wet floors, cluttered walkways, loose carpets, narrow staircases and low ceilings.

Request that access routes are kept clear of unnecessary obstacles, pets and children while removal work is in progress.

Use caution when moving large items through doorways and stairwells to avoid damage and prevent crush or impact injuries.

Minimise noise, disruption and unsafe stacking of goods during loading and unloading activities.

Equipment and Personal Protective Measures

We will supply suitable tools and handling aids for the work undertaken. Where appropriate, staff may be required to use protective equipment such as gloves, safety footwear or high visibility clothing. Equipment and gear must be used correctly and stored safely when not in use.

All tools and aids will be inspected regularly and removed from service if damage or defects that could pose a risk are identified.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man With a Van Queensbury will provide relevant health and safety information and, where needed, training to ensure staff understand the risks associated with removals, deliveries and transport work. This may include induction training for new starters, toolbox talks on manual handling, safe loading practices and how to report incidents.

Supervision will be proportionate to the experience and competence of staff, the nature of the job and the level of risk present. Less experienced workers will be supported and monitored more closely until they demonstrate consistent safe working practices.

Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents, injuries and near misses that occur during work activities must be reported promptly to management. Details will be recorded and investigated where appropriate so that root causes can be identified and corrective actions implemented.

We use this information to improve our procedures and to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Continuous Improvement and Review

Health and safety is an ongoing commitment. Man With a Van Queensbury will regularly review its performance, procedures and risk assessments to ensure they remain suitable and effective for the type of removal and transport work we carry out.

Feedback from employees, customers and contractors is welcomed and will be taken into account when reviewing policies and working methods. Our goal is to provide a professional man and van service with safety at the centre of all operations.