Man with Van Merton Health and Safety Policy

Man with Van Merton is committed to providing a safe, healthy and secure environment for our employees, customers, contractors and members of the public affected by our removal and transportation activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our responsibilities, standards and procedures for managing risks associated with moving, loading, transporting and unloading goods.

We aim to continually improve our health and safety performance and to integrate safe working practices into every aspect of our removals and man and van services.

Health and Safety Objectives

Our primary objectives are to prevent injury and ill health, protect property, and minimise risks during removal work. We seek to:

Identify and control hazards linked to lifting, carrying, driving, loading and access at collection and delivery addresses.

Provide suitable training, information and supervision to ensure work is carried out safely and competently.

Maintain vehicles, equipment and work practices in a safe condition.

Promote a positive safety culture, where all staff understand their responsibilities and feel able to raise concerns.

Comply with all applicable health and safety legislation and recognised industry best practice.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man with Van Merton has overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. Management will:

Ensure that appropriate risk assessments are completed for typical removals work and that findings are communicated and implemented.

Provide and maintain suitable vehicles, lifting aids and protective equipment required for safe operations.

Monitor working conditions, safety performance and incident reports, taking corrective and preventive action where required.

Review this policy periodically and following any significant changes in work activities, legislation or incident trends.

Allocate sufficient resources to enable effective health and safety management.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees and contractors working for Man with Van Merton share responsibility for maintaining high safety standards. All personnel must:

Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.

Follow all safety procedures, method statements and instructions provided by management.

Use vehicles, tools, lifting equipment and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects immediately.

Report accidents, near misses, unsafe conditions or health concerns to management without delay.

Participate in any training or briefing sessions required for their role.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Before starting removal work, tasks and environments are assessed to identify potential hazards, including manual handling risks, access issues, trip and slip risks, traffic hazards and weather-related dangers. Control measures may include:

Planning safe routes for moving items within properties and to vehicles.

Using team lifts, trolleys or other equipment for heavy or bulky items.

Restricting access to work areas to prevent injury to customers or the public.

Scheduling jobs and staffing levels to reduce fatigue and time pressure.

Adjusting work methods where hazards such as narrow staircases, poor lighting or uneven surfaces are identified.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a significant component of our work and is managed carefully to prevent injury. We will:

Provide guidance on safe lifting techniques, including posture, weight assessment and team lifting.

Use handling aids such as trolleys, dollies and straps where reasonably practicable.

Avoid single-person lifting of items that are excessively heavy, awkward in shape or difficult to grip.

Encourage staff to refuse unsafe lifts and request additional help or equipment where needed.

Monitor the condition of handling aids and replace them if damaged or unfit for use.

Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards

Our vehicles are essential to our removal services and are operated with safety as a priority. Man with Van Merton will:

Ensure regular servicing and safety checks of all vehicles used for removals.

Verify that drivers hold appropriate licences and are trained in safe driving techniques and load security.

Ensure loads are secured to prevent movement during transit and to avoid danger to road users.

Plan realistic schedules to reduce driver fatigue and encourage regular rest breaks where required.

Promote defensive driving and compliance with road traffic laws at all times.

Customer and Public Safety

We recognise our duty to protect customers, visitors and the public in areas where we operate. To achieve this, we will:

Maintain clear walkways where possible and manage access during loading and unloading.

Communicate clearly with customers about any risks in the working area and steps needed to keep children, pets and other persons away from moving items.

Position vehicles and equipment to minimise obstruction and avoid unnecessary risk to pedestrians and other road users.

Act promptly to clean or report spills, debris or any other hazards arising from our activities.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man with Van Merton provides ongoing training and supervision appropriate to the roles of each worker. This may include:

Induction training covering core health and safety policies and emergency procedures.

Task-specific guidance for manual handling, use of equipment, working at height where relevant, and vehicle safety.

Regular briefings on changes in procedures, lessons learned from incidents and seasonal risks such as adverse weather.

Supervision by experienced personnel, particularly for new or less experienced staff.

Accident Reporting and Investigation

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. Man with Van Merton will:

Record incident details accurately to assist with legal compliance and internal monitoring.

Investigate incidents to determine root causes and identify measures to prevent recurrence.

Implement corrective actions, review risk assessments and update procedures where necessary.

Encourage open reporting without blame, focusing on learning and improvement.

Wellbeing and Fitness for Work

The physical demands of removal work require that staff are fit to perform their duties safely. We will:

Discourage staff from working while unfit due to illness, injury, alcohol, drugs or fatigue.

Encourage early reporting of health issues that could affect safe working, such as back problems or reduced mobility.

Adjust tasks where reasonably practicable to accommodate short-term health concerns.

Policy Review and Communication

This Health and Safety Policy is communicated to all employees and is available to customers on request. It will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains appropriate to the scale and nature of our operations and continues to reflect current legal requirements and best practice for removal services.

By working together, Man with Van Merton, our staff and our customers can help maintain a safe environment throughout every move.