Man with Van Cambridge Heath Health and Safety Policy
Man with Van Cambridge Heath is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of our employees, contractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and transport activities. Our objective is to operate all removals and man and van services in a manner that prevents injury, ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment.
1. Policy Statement
The management of Man with Van Cambridge Heath accepts overall responsibility for ensuring that effective health and safety arrangements are in place and that they are implemented and maintained. We will provide adequate resources, information, instruction, supervision and training to enable all staff to work safely when carrying out collection, loading, transportation and delivery of goods.
This policy applies to all workers, whether permanent, temporary or self-employed, and to all locations where our removal and transport services are provided, including domestic moves, office relocations and deliveries.
2. Legal Compliance and Continuous Improvement
We will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice and recognised industry standards. Our approach is to regularly review our systems of work and update our procedures to reflect best practice in the removals and transport sector.
The policy is reviewed at least annually, or sooner if there are significant changes to our operations, applicable legislation, work equipment or identified risks.
3. Responsibilities
Management is responsible for:
Ensuring suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out for all removal activities, including manual handling, lifting, loading and driving. Providing safe work equipment and vehicles that are properly maintained and suitable for their intended use. Ensuring staff are competent and receive appropriate training for their roles. Promoting a positive safety culture where hazards, near misses and incidents are reported and addressed promptly.
Employees and contractors are responsible for:
Taking reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Following all safety instructions, training and risk assessments. Using equipment and vehicles correctly and only for their intended purpose. Reporting hazards, defects, accidents and near misses to management without delay. Cooperating with any investigation or improvement measures introduced to enhance safety.
4. Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Before each removal or transport task, we identify and assess risks associated with the work. This includes considering access routes, parking, loading areas, stairways, lifts, the nature of the items to be moved and any specific customer requirements.
Based on the findings, safe systems of work are developed and communicated to all team members involved. Where necessary, additional controls such as extra staff, specialist equipment or amended work methods will be used to reduce risks to an acceptable level.
5. Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is a key part of our services, especially when moving furniture, appliances and personal belongings. To minimise the risk of injury, we:
Provide manual handling training so staff understand correct lifting and carrying techniques. Plan jobs to avoid unnecessary lifting and carrying whenever reasonably practicable. Use appropriate handling aids, such as sack trucks, dollies, straps and blankets. Assess large, awkward or heavy items individually and introduce additional controls, including team lifts or specialist equipment, where needed.
All equipment is inspected regularly, and any defective items are removed from use until repaired or replaced.
6. Vehicle and Driving Safety
Our vehicles are central to our man and van services and are maintained to a high standard to ensure safe operation. We:
Carry out regular checks and servicing in line with manufacturers instructions and legal requirements. Ensure drivers hold the correct licences and are competent and trained for the type of vehicle they operate. Require drivers to conduct pre-use checks, reporting any defects immediately. Control loading of vehicles to ensure loads are secure, stable and within safe weight limits.
Drivers must comply with road traffic laws, observe speed limits, drive considerately and adjust their driving to road, weather and traffic conditions.
7. Site Safety and Public Protection
When operating at customers premises or in public areas, we take steps to protect customers, visitors and members of the public. This includes:
Planning loading and unloading to minimise obstruction and disruption. Using safe lifting and carrying routes and keeping walkways as clear as possible. Placing ramps, equipment and vehicles safely to reduce trip and collision risks. Being vigilant when moving large items through doorways, corridors and communal spaces.
Where a significant risk to the public is identified, we will introduce additional control measures such as barriers, signage or temporary restrictions to access.
8. Training, Information and Supervision
All staff receive appropriate induction and on-the-job training relevant to their role. This covers topics such as manual handling, safe loading and unloading, vehicle checks, use of equipment, incident reporting and customer care.
We provide ongoing refresher training and toolbox talks to reinforce safe practices and share any lessons learned from incidents or near misses. Supervisors and senior team members monitor working practices to ensure procedures are followed and to provide guidance where needed.
9. Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting
All accidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences and near misses must be reported to management as soon as possible. We investigate these events to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Records of incidents, risk assessments, training and equipment checks are maintained as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and legal compliance.
10. Consultation and Policy Review
We encourage open communication about health and safety issues. Employees are invited to raise concerns, suggest improvements and participate in discussions about safer ways of working.
This Health and Safety Policy is formally reviewed on a regular basis and updated where necessary to reflect changes in our services, operating areas, legislation or industry best practice. The latest version is made available to all staff and, upon request, to customers and other interested parties.
