Health and Safety policy

Health and Safety Policy for Man With a Van King's Cross

Man With a Van King's Cross is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, clients, contractors and members of the public affected by our removal services. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks, preventing accidents and promoting safe practices across all moving and transportation activities.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Our primary objectives are to prevent injury, protect health and safeguard property during all stages of a move, including packing, loading, transportation and unloading. We aim to identify hazards, assess risks and implement effective control measures so that our team can work safely in homes, offices, storage facilities and public areas.

We recognise that high standards of health and safety contribute directly to the quality and reliability of our man and van services. We strive for continuous improvement in our safety performance through monitoring, training and open communication.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man With a Van King's Cross has overall responsibility for implementing this Health and Safety Policy. This includes ensuring that appropriate resources are made available to manage risks associated with removals work, such as manual handling, driving, use of equipment and working in varied environments.

Management will regularly review health and safety procedures to confirm they remain suitable and effective. This includes reviewing incidents, near misses, customer feedback and changes in working practices to identify opportunities for improvement.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees, drivers and porters are required to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work. Every team member must:

Follow the companys safe systems of work and instructions provided.

Use equipment, vehicles and tools correctly and safely.

Report any hazards, defects, accidents or near misses to management without delay.

Cooperate with management on all health and safety matters and attend required training.

Never undertake work that they consider unsafe or for which they have not been trained.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We carry out risk assessments relevant to our removal and delivery activities. These assessments consider manual handling tasks, access issues at properties, vehicle loading, traffic conditions, weather, and any particular risks associated with customers premises or items being moved.

From these assessments we develop safe working practices which may include:

Planning routes and parking to minimise reversing and manual carrying distances.

Using appropriate lifting techniques and team lifting for heavy or awkward items.

Utilising handling aids where available, such as trolleys, straps or blankets.

Ensuring walkways and loading areas are kept clear and well organised.

Securing loads inside vehicles to prevent movement during transit.

Manual Handling

Manual handling is a key element of our services and we recognise the potential for strains, sprains and other injuries if not properly controlled. We are committed to:

Providing instruction in safe lifting and carrying techniques.

Avoiding single-person lifts of excessively heavy or bulky items.

Encouraging staff to assess each item before lifting and to ask for help where needed.

Using the most efficient and safe method of moving items, rather than the quickest or most convenient.

Vehicles and Driving Safety

Our vehicles are central to our man and van operations and are maintained in a roadworthy and safe condition. Drivers are responsible for conducting basic pre-use checks and reporting defects immediately. We expect all drivers to:

Hold the appropriate valid driving licence.

Follow all traffic laws, drive responsibly and adjust driving to road and weather conditions.

Avoid driving when tired or unwell, and take breaks when needed for longer journeys.

Ensure loads are evenly distributed, correctly secured and within safe weight limits.

Equipment and Protective Measures

Where necessary, we provide equipment and protective measures to reduce risk. This may include gloves, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and other items appropriate to the task and environment. Staff must use such equipment when provided and look after it properly.

Any damaged or defective equipment must be taken out of use and reported to management so that repairs or replacements can be arranged.

Customer and Public Safety

During moves, customers, visitors and members of the public may be near our work areas. We manage these risks by planning work carefully and, where necessary:

Establishing clear access routes and keeping them free from trip hazards.

Advising customers about areas to avoid while large items are being moved.

Positioning vehicles and ramps to reduce risk to pedestrians and other road users.

Training, Information and Supervision

We provide our team members with information, instruction and training appropriate to their role and experience. This may include induction training, manual handling guidance, vehicle and equipment use, and site-specific safety arrangements.

Supervision is provided to ensure that safe working practices are followed, particularly for new or less experienced staff. We encourage feedback from staff on health and safety matters to help us refine our procedures.

Incident Reporting and Investigation

All accidents, near misses, injuries and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. We investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Where appropriate, we will review risk assessments, procedures and training in light of any incidents to ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into future operations.

Policy Review and Continuous Improvement

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed periodically and whenever there are significant changes in our services, work methods or relevant guidance. Our aim is to maintain and improve a strong health and safety culture throughout Man With a Van King's Cross, supporting safe, efficient and professional moving services for all our customers.