Highbury Removals Health and Safety Policy

Highbury Removals is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, customers, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our removals operations. This Health and Safety policy sets out our overall approach to managing risks associated with household and commercial moves, storage services and related activities carried out in our vehicles, customer premises and any other locations where we operate.

Our Health and Safety Commitment

We aim to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective control measures. Health and Safety is an integral part of how we plan and deliver our moving services. Management at all levels is responsible for promoting safe working practices and ensuring that our teams have the resources, information and training required to work safely.

We will regularly review this policy to ensure it remains suitable and effective as our business, service area and working methods develop over time.

Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for Health and Safety within Highbury Removals rests with senior management, who will:

Provide appropriate resources to implement and maintain this policy, ensure that employees are competent to carry out their duties safely, and monitor performance against Health and Safety objectives.

Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for:

Communicating safe working procedures to staff, monitoring work on site and in vehicles, reporting hazards, near misses and incidents, and stopping any job that cannot be continued safely.

All employees, including temporary and agency workers, must:

Take reasonable care of their own Health and Safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions, follow all training, instructions and method statements provided, correctly use vehicles, tools, lifting equipment and personal protective equipment supplied, and immediately report any accident, near miss, unsafe condition or damaged equipment.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Highbury Removals carries out risk assessments for typical moving activities, including packing, loading, unloading, furniture assembly and transport. Site specific assessments are undertaken where necessary, for example in properties with restricted access, awkward staircases, limited parking, or unusual loads.

We develop safe systems of work and method statements to control identified hazards. These may cover manual handling techniques, use of trolleys and lifting aids, securing loads in vehicles, working in and around road traffic, and working in shared spaces such as communal entrances, offices and storage facilities.

All employees are briefed on relevant risks and control measures before starting work at a location and are expected to follow the agreed methods at all times.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is a significant part of removals work. To reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, we:

Provide training in safe lifting, carrying and team handling techniques, avoid single-person lifts of large or heavy items where team handling is reasonably practicable, supply suitable handling equipment such as sack trucks, dollies, removal straps and furniture blankets, and plan moves so that the heaviest and bulkiest items are handled as safely and efficiently as possible.

Employees must not attempt to lift or move any item they regard as unsafe to handle and must request additional support, equipment or supervision as required.

Vehicle and Driving Safety

Our vehicles are central to how we deliver removal services, and their safe operation is essential. Highbury Removals will:

Ensure company vehicles are regularly inspected, serviced and maintained, carry out pre use checks, ensure that all loads are properly distributed, secured and covered where necessary, provide information and training on safe driving techniques, and plan routes that allow realistic travel times and comply with road safety requirements.

Drivers must comply with all road traffic laws, never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, report any defects immediately and refrain from using mobile phones or other distractions while driving.

Working on Customer Premises

When working in homes, offices, commercial buildings or storage facilities, we aim to protect customers, visitors and the public from harm. Our teams will:

Identify access routes, stairs, lifts and parking arrangements before work starts, use protective coverings where appropriate to reduce trip hazards and damage to floors, keep work areas as tidy as reasonably practicable, ensuring that walkways and fire exits remain clear, and coordinate with customers or building management on any site specific rules, such as signing in procedures, restricted areas or lift access times.

Where work takes place in shared spaces, our staff will take care to minimise obstruction and will use warning signs or barriers when required.

Personal Protective Equipment

Highbury Removals provides suitable personal protective equipment where identified by risk assessment. This may include safety footwear, gloves, high visibility clothing and other items necessary for specific tasks or environments.

Employees must use the protective equipment provided in accordance with their training, keep it in good condition and report any loss or defect so that it can be repaired or replaced.

Training, Communication and Consultation

We provide induction training for all new starters, covering our Health and Safety rules, emergency procedures and the specific risks associated with removals work. Ongoing training and refresher courses are arranged as required for topics such as manual handling, vehicle safety, working at height where relevant, and use of specialist equipment.

Highbury Removals encourages open communication about Health and Safety. Employees are consulted on changes that may affect their safety and are encouraged to make suggestions for improving our working practices.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to a supervisor or manager as soon as possible. We will investigate incidents to identify causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

Our teams are briefed on emergency arrangements relevant to the places in which they work, including fire evacuation routes, assembly points and procedures for summoning medical assistance. Staff must cooperate fully with any site specific emergency instructions.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

Highbury Removals monitors Health and Safety performance through incident records, inspection findings and feedback from employees and customers. This information is used to identify trends, strengthen our controls and improve our systems.

This Health and Safety policy will be reviewed periodically and updated when necessary, such as following significant changes to legislation, our services, the locations in which we operate or the nature of the risks we face.

By working together and following the principles set out in this policy, Highbury Removals aims to deliver a professional, efficient and safe removals service for every customer and every move.