Health and Safety policy

Man With a Van Kennington Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van Kennington is committed to providing safe, reliable and professional moving and transport services. This Health and Safety Policy sets out how we protect our customers, our workers, the public and property during all removal and delivery activities. Our aim is to prevent injury, ill health and damage by identifying hazards, managing risks and promoting a strong safety culture across our operations.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Our core objectives are to ensure that all work associated with our man and van and removal services is planned and carried out in a way that:

Minimises risks to the health and safety of workers, customers and others who may be affected. Complies with relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry good practice. Reduces the likelihood of accidents, injuries, property damage and vehicle incidents. Encourages active participation in health and safety by everyone involved in our services.

Management Responsibilities

Management is responsible for implementing this policy and for maintaining safe systems of work. This includes:

Assessing risks linked to removals, loading and unloading, driving and handling goods. Providing appropriate information and instruction to workers and contractors. Supplying suitable equipment, tools, personal protective equipment and vehicles. Ensuring that vehicles are properly maintained, serviced and inspected. Investigating accidents, near misses and incidents to prevent recurrence. Reviewing and updating this policy periodically, and when operations or legislation change.

Employee and Contractor Responsibilities

All workers, including drivers, porters and contractors engaged by Man With a Van Kennington, have a duty to:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others. Follow the safe working procedures and guidance provided. Use equipment and protective gear correctly and report any defects. Cooperate fully with management in meeting health and safety requirements. Immediately report hazards, unsafe conditions, near misses and incidents. Refrain from any behaviour that could compromise safety, including working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Risk assessments are carried out for our core services, including household removals, small office moves, and collection and delivery of items. These assessments identify hazards such as manual handling, slips and trips, use of ramps and trolleys, working on or near roads, and loading vehicles. Control measures are then applied to reduce risks to an acceptable level.

Safe working practices include planning access routes, checking parking and loading restrictions, using appropriate lifting techniques, and ensuring items are secured during transit. Where a job presents unusual or higher risks, a site-specific assessment is conducted before work begins.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a significant part of removal work. To manage the risk of strains, sprains and other injuries, we ensure that:

Workers receive guidance on safe lifting methods, including team lifting for heavy or awkward items. Mechanical aids such as sack trucks, dollies and ramps are used where feasible. Loads are assessed before lifting to determine weight, stability and best handling method. Items that are too heavy or unsafe to lift manually are not handled without suitable equipment or additional support. Sufficient time is allowed on each job to avoid rushing and unsafe handling.

Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards

Our vehicles are central to our removal and delivery services and must be operated safely at all times. To achieve this we:

Carry out regular checks and maintenance on vans to ensure roadworthiness. Require drivers to hold valid licences appropriate to the vehicles they operate. Expect drivers to follow the Highway Code and all road traffic regulations. Prohibit the use of mobile phones without hands-free systems while driving. Ensure loads are evenly distributed and adequately secured to prevent movement during transit. Avoid overloading vehicles and comply with weight limits and height restrictions.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

Work is often carried out in residential buildings, offices, storage facilities and on public roads. We take reasonable steps to protect customers and the public by:

Planning access routes to minimise obstruction to entrances, pavements and shared areas. Using warning where appropriate to highlight moving or heavy loads. Keeping work areas as tidy as possible and promptly dealing with spillages or trip hazards. Being mindful of noise, doors, gates and shared corridors in communal properties. Respecting building rules and working considerately around neighbours and other users of the premises.

Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment

Man With a Van Kennington provides suitable equipment to support safe removals, including blankets, straps, trolleys and ramps where appropriate. All equipment is inspected regularly and removed from use if defective. Where necessary, workers are provided with or instructed to use personal protective equipment, such as protective footwear and gloves. Equipment and protective clothing must be used as intended and stored correctly.

Training, Information and Supervision

We recognise that competent workers are essential for safe operations in the removals and transport sector. We therefore:

Provide induction and on-the-job guidance relevant to each role. Explain hazards commonly associated with moving household goods and office items. Offer instruction on safe loading, lifting and securing of goods. Supervise less experienced staff until they can demonstrate safe working practices. Communicate updates to procedures when new risks or safer methods are identified.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, vehicle collisions and significant near misses must be reported as soon as possible to management. We keep appropriate records, review causes and implement corrective actions. In the event of an emergency, such as fire, serious injury or a road traffic incident, the primary focus is on preserving life and raising the alarm with the relevant emergency services. Workers are expected to follow instructions from emergency responders and to cooperate fully with any subsequent investigations.

Continuous Improvement and Policy Review

Health and safety is an ongoing commitment. Man With a Van Kennington regularly reviews working practices, incident reports and feedback from customers and workers to improve safety performance. This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains suitable for the scale and nature of our man and van and removal services, and is updated when legal or operational changes occur.

By following this Health and Safety Policy, Man With a Van Kennington aims to deliver efficient, professional and safe removal and transport services for all customers.