Health and Safety policy

Health and Safety Policy for Man With a Van Brompton

Man With a Van Brompton is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our team members, customers, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our removals and transport activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with moving, handling, loading, unloading and transporting goods for domestic and commercial clients.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Our primary health and safety objectives are to prevent injury, ill health, property damage and avoidable disruption during every move. We aim to continuously improve our health and safety performance by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing sensible, proportionate control measures in all areas of our removal services and vehicle operations.

Management Responsibilities

The management of Man With a Van Brompton accepts overall responsibility for ensuring that health and safety is an integral part of our decision making and daily operations. Management will:

Ensure compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation and industry best practice for the removals and transport sector. Provide adequate resources to implement, monitor and review this policy, including equipment, training and supervision. Maintain safe systems of work for packing, lifting, carrying, loading, unloading and transporting customer belongings. Ensure that vehicles used for removal services are safe, roadworthy, properly maintained and suitable for the tasks undertaken. Regularly review risk assessments and operating procedures and update them as circumstances, regulations or working methods change.

Employee Responsibilities

Every member of our team has an important role in maintaining high health and safety standards. All employees, contractors and agency staff must:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Follow all health and safety instructions, safe systems of work and training provided by Man With a Van Brompton. Use the equipment, tools, vehicles and personal protective equipment supplied to them correctly and report any defects immediately. Report all accidents, near misses, unsafe conditions and health and safety concerns to management as soon as possible. Co operate with management on health and safety matters, including attending training, briefings and toolbox talks.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We carry out risk assessments for our removal activities and vehicle operations to identify potential hazards and determine appropriate controls. These assessments cover typical tasks such as moving heavy items, navigating stairs, working in confined spaces, parking and loading in busy streets, and handling fragile or high value items.

Safe working practices are communicated to all staff and are reviewed regularly. Where job specific risks are identified at a client property, a dynamic risk assessment will be carried out on site before work begins, and methods of work may be adjusted to maintain safety.

Manual Handling and Lifting

The safe movement of furniture, boxes and equipment is central to our work. To minimise the risk of injury, we:

Provide manual handling training appropriate to the removals environment, including safe lifting, carrying and team handling techniques. Encourage the use of mechanical aids and equipment where reasonably practicable, such as trolleys, dollies, straps and ramps. Plan lifts in advance, taking account of weight, size, access routes, obstructions and potential trip or slip hazards. Avoid asking staff to move loads that are too heavy or awkward to be handled safely by the team and equipment available at the time.

Vehicle and Driving Safety

Safe driving and vehicle safety are essential parts of our health and safety approach. Man With a Van Brompton will:

Provide vehicles that are suitable for removal work, maintained to a high standard and inspected regularly. Ensure that loads are packed, balanced and secured correctly to prevent movement during transit and reduce the risk of damage or accidents. Require drivers to hold the correct licences and follow road traffic laws, speed limits and parking regulations at all times. Instruct drivers to avoid driving when fatigued or unfit and to report any concerns that could affect safe driving or vehicle condition.

Customer and Public Safety

Our services take place in homes, offices, commercial premises and public spaces, so we place particular importance on protecting customers and the public. We will:

Plan access routes that minimise disruption and risk to occupants, neighbours and passers by. Use clear communication with customers to keep them informed of planned work areas, potential hazards and any temporary restrictions on access. Take care when moving items through shared areas, entrances, staircases and pavements to prevent collisions, trips or obstruction of exits. Maintain respectful and considerate behaviour at all times while working on or near customer property.

Training, Information and Supervision

To support safe working, we provide our team with appropriate training, information and supervision. This may include induction training, manual handling, safe loading and unloading, use of equipment, vehicle safety and hazard awareness. Supervisors will monitor working practices on site, correct unsafe behaviour and provide guidance where required.

Accident Reporting and Continuous Improvement

All accidents, incidents and near misses that occur during our removal and transport activities must be reported promptly. We investigate these events to identify root causes and implement actions that will reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Lessons learned are shared with the team and used to refine our risk assessments, procedures and training.

Review of this Policy

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to our operations, staffing, legislation or best practice. Updated versions are communicated to all employees and made available to customers on request. By implementing this policy, Man With a Van Brompton seeks to deliver safe, reliable and professional removal services while protecting the wellbeing of everyone involved.