Health and Safety policy
Health and Safety Policy for Man with Van Harringay
Man with Van Harringay is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our workers, customers, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and transport activities. This Health and Safety policy sets out the principles and procedures we follow to manage risks associated with moving, loading, transporting and unloading goods.
We comply with all applicable health and safety legislation and continually strive to improve our standards. Everyone working with or on behalf of Man with Van Harringay is required to follow this policy and apply safe working practices at all times.
Our Health and Safety Objectives
Our key objectives are to:
Prevent injury and ill health arising from our removal and transport operations.
Provide and maintain safe vehicles, equipment and systems of work.
Ensure that all personnel are properly trained and competent for the tasks they undertake.
Identify hazards, assess risks and implement appropriate controls before any work begins.
Consult with workers on health and safety matters and encourage feedback and reporting of hazards.
Monitor and review our health and safety performance to promote continual improvement.
Responsibilities and Management
The management of Man with Van Harringay holds overall responsibility for health and safety within the company. This includes ensuring that sufficient resources are available to implement this policy and that health and safety considerations are integrated into planning and decision making.
Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for day-to-day implementation of safe working practices on each job, including briefings, allocation of tasks and monitoring standards on site and during transportation.
All workers, whether permanent, temporary or subcontracted, have a duty to:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.
Follow all safety instructions, procedures and training provided.
Use vehicles, tools and equipment in accordance with training and manufacturer guidance.
Report hazards, near misses and accidents immediately to management.
Refuse to undertake any task that they believe is unsafe until it can be reassessed and controlled.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Before starting any removal or transport work, we assess the risks associated with the task, location and load. This may include consideration of access routes, stairs, parking, weather conditions, traffic, load weight, shape, fragility and any special handling requirements.
Where significant risks are identified, appropriate control measures are put in place. These may include planning additional staff, using equipment such as trolleys or lifting straps, adjusting routes, scheduling work at safer times of day or refusing to move items that present unreasonable risk.
Safe systems of work are communicated to all personnel involved in the job. Workers must follow these instructions and are encouraged to raise concerns if they feel a method is unsafe or impractical in practice.
Manual Handling and Lifting
Manual handling is a core part of our removal services and is a key focus for injury prevention. We take the following measures to minimise the risk of strains, sprains and other musculoskeletal injuries:
All workers receive training in safe lifting and carrying techniques, including team lifts for heavy or bulky items.
Loads are assessed before lifting. Items that are too heavy, awkward or unstable will not be moved manually without appropriate assistance or mechanical help.
Where possible, handling aids such as trolleys, dollies and sliders are used to reduce manual effort.
Routes are planned to avoid unnecessary carrying distances and to minimise the need to negotiate obstacles or tight spaces while carrying loads.
Workers are encouraged to take regular short breaks from repetitive or heavy tasks to reduce fatigue.
Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards
Our vehicles are essential to our operations and must be maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition. Man with Van Harringay will:
Ensure regular servicing, inspections and maintenance of all vehicles by competent persons.
Require drivers to conduct pre-use checks, reporting any defects immediately.
Ensure loads are packed, positioned and secured safely to prevent movement during transit.
Comply with road traffic laws, including speed limits, parking regulations and restrictions related to loading and unloading.
Require drivers to be properly licensed, medically fit to drive and not under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any medication that may impair safe driving.
Use of Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment
Man with Van Harringay provides appropriate equipment and, where necessary, personal protective equipment to help control risks. This may include gloves, safety footwear, high visibility clothing, lifting straps and other tools designed for moving goods.
Personnel must use all provided equipment correctly and look after it with reasonable care. Defective or damaged equipment must be taken out of service immediately and reported so that it can be repaired or replaced.
Customer Premises and Public Safety
Our work often takes place at customer homes, offices, storage facilities and on public roads. We aim to protect not only our workers but also customers, neighbours and passers-by.
Where necessary, we will use warning signs, cones or other simple controls to mark work areas and reduce the risk of trips, falls or collision with moving items.
Customers may be asked to keep children, pets and other persons away from work areas to maintain safety.
We reserve the right to refuse or suspend work where conditions at a property or on a street present unacceptable risk, such as blocked fire exits, unsafe structures, severe weather or dangerous access routes.
Training, Information and Supervision
All staff receive an induction that includes basic health and safety information relevant to removal work, including manual handling, vehicle safety and emergency procedures.
Further task-specific training is provided where required, such as the safe use of particular equipment or the handling of unusual loads.
Supervision is proportionate to the experience of workers and the level of risk involved in the job. New or inexperienced workers are closely supervised until they demonstrate consistent safe working practices.
Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures
All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. This enables us to provide appropriate support, record details, investigate underlying causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
Workers are informed of basic emergency procedures, including what to do in the event of serious injury, fire, vehicle collision or other urgent situations.
Where required by law, accidents will be reported to the relevant enforcing authorities.
Continuous Improvement and Policy Review
Man with Van Harringay is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance. We regularly review this policy and our related procedures to ensure they remain suitable, effective and in line with legal requirements and industry good practice.
Feedback from workers and customers is welcomed and used to identify opportunities for improvement in how we plan and deliver our removal services safely.
This Health and Safety policy is communicated to all staff and is available to customers upon request.
