Health and Safety policy

Man with Van Catford Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy explains how Man with Van Catford manages safety for customers, employees, contractors and members of the public during all removal and transport activities. Our aim is to provide efficient moving services while preventing injury, ill health, property damage and environmental harm.

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

Man with Van Catford is committed to maintaining high standards of health and safety across all removal jobs, from small flat moves to larger house and office relocations. We recognise our responsibilities under applicable health and safety legislation and work to integrate safety into every stage of planning and delivering our services.

We will take all reasonably practicable steps to:

Identify hazards associated with removals and transport activities, assess the risks, and implement appropriate control measures. Provide and maintain vehicles, equipment and tools in a safe and reliable condition. Ensure our team members are properly trained, supervised and competent to carry out their work safely. Consult with workers on health and safety matters and encourage reporting of any concerns. Review and improve our safety practices regularly.

Roles and Responsibilities

Health and safety is a shared responsibility and requires the cooperation of the management team, drivers, porters, office staff, subcontractors and customers.

Management is responsible for setting clear safety standards, providing suitable resources, planning work with safety in mind, ensuring staff training and monitoring compliance with this policy. Employees and contractors are responsible for following training and safe systems of work, using equipment correctly, reporting hazards, incidents and near misses, and cooperating with any health and safety instructions or investigations. Customers are requested to support safe working by providing clear access to properties, informing us of any known hazards such as fragile surfaces or restricted access areas, keeping walkways free from trip hazards during loading and unloading, and supervising children and pets away from work areas.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Before starting a removal job, we assess risks associated with the specific property, access routes, items to be moved, and any special requirements. Where necessary we adapt plans to reduce risk, for example by using additional staff, specialist moving equipment or modified loading arrangements.

We establish safe systems of work for common removal tasks including manual handling of furniture and boxes, loading and unloading vehicles, packing and protecting items, operating trolleys and other handling aids, and working in stairwells, corridors and tight access spaces.

These procedures are regularly reviewed and updated based on experience, feedback and any incidents or near misses.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a core part of removal work and is managed carefully to prevent injuries. Our approach includes training team members in correct lifting techniques, encouraging team lifts for heavy or awkward items, using trolleys, dollies, straps and other aids wherever reasonably practicable, planning routes through properties before moving large items, and avoiding unnecessary carrying by positioning vehicles as close as safely possible to entry points.

We reserve the right to refuse to move any item that cannot be handled safely with the resources and equipment available on the day.

Vehicles, Driving and Road Safety

Our vehicles are central to our removal services and are maintained to a safe and roadworthy standard. We conduct regular checks on tyres, lights, brakes and securing points for loads, ensure that loads are distributed and secured to prevent movement during transit, and plan routes to minimise unnecessary risks, taking account of road conditions and access restrictions.

Drivers must hold the appropriate licence, follow road traffic laws at all times, refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, avoid mobile device use while driving, other than approved hands free systems, and report any vehicle defects or incidents without delay.

Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment

We provide suitable equipment to support safe removals, such as moving blankets, straps, trolleys, lifting aids and protective floor coverings. All equipment is checked regularly and taken out of service if found to be defective.

Where appropriate, personnel may be provided with personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety footwear or high visibility clothing. Staff are required to use such equipment correctly, keep it in good condition and report any damage or loss.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

We take care to protect customer properties and ensure the safety of others who may be affected by our work. This includes using protective coverings to reduce the risk of damage to floors and surfaces, keeping access routes clear of packaging, debris and loose items, positioning ramps and equipment to reduce trip risks, and managing loading and unloading so that members of the public are not exposed to unnecessary hazards.

Where work takes place in shared or public areas, our team will take additional care to maintain clear passages and warn others when large or heavy items are being moved.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and damage incidents connected with our removal activities must be reported promptly to management. This information is used to investigate causes, implement corrective actions, and improve our processes.

Our team members receive instruction on what to do in the event of an emergency, such as fire, serious injury or road traffic collision. This includes raising the alarm and contacting emergency services where necessary, providing assistance within the limits of their training and competence, and securing the area and equipment to prevent further harm.

Training, Communication and Review

Man with Van Catford provides initial and ongoing training to ensure that team members understand this policy, are familiar with the risks of removal work, and know how to apply safe working methods in homes, offices and other locations within our service area.

We communicate updates to procedures and expectations through briefings and other internal channels. Employees are encouraged to suggest improvements and raise any health and safety concerns without fear of reprisal.

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly, and at least annually, to reflect changes in law, industry best practice, our services or our working methods. Updated versions are made available to staff and can be provided to customers on request.

Policy Responsibility and Approval

Overall responsibility for implementing this Health and Safety Policy rests with the management of Man with Van Catford. Day to day responsibility is delegated to supervisors and team leaders who ensure that safe practices are followed on each job.

Every employee and contractor is expected to cooperate fully with this policy and to place health and safety at the centre of every removal and transport activity carried out on behalf of Man with Van Catford.