Man and a Van Ealing Health and Safety Policy
Man and a Van Ealing is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, customers, contractors and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and delivery activities. This policy outlines the principles and arrangements we follow to manage health and safety across all aspects of our services, including household removals, office moves and local transport of goods.
Our Health and Safety Objectives
Our primary objectives are to prevent injury and ill health, protect property, and minimise disruption or risk to the public during our operations. We aim to achieve this by planning work carefully, using competent staff, maintaining suitable equipment, and continuously improving our practices in line with applicable regulations and industry standards for removal companies.
Management Responsibilities
Management at Man and a Van Ealing is responsible for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes ensuring that appropriate resources are provided for training, equipment, supervision and risk control. Management will regularly review operational procedures, investigate any incidents or near misses, and take corrective action where needed.
Managers and supervisors must lead by example, promote a positive safety culture, enforce safe systems of work, and make sure that all staff understand their responsibilities. They are also responsible for updating this policy when legislation, guidance or our working practices change.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees, including drivers, porters and office-based staff, share responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. Employees must:
Work in accordance with training and instructions provided, use equipment correctly and safely, follow risk assessments and method statements, report hazards, defects, accidents and near misses to management at the earliest opportunity, not misuse or interfere with anything provided for health, safety or welfare, and cooperate fully with management to enable legal and policy requirements to be met.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
Before carrying out removal work, we assess potential risks associated with properties, access routes, parking, lifting tasks, traffic and interaction with customers or the public. Where necessary, we will conduct site-specific risk assessments and agree safe work methods with the client in advance.
Key elements of our safe working practices include planning vehicle positioning to reduce reversing and traffic risks, using appropriate lifting techniques and team lifts for heavy or awkward items, using moving equipment such as trolleys and straps where suitable, maintaining clear walkways and access routes, and adjusting methods if conditions change, for example poor weather or restricted access.
Manual Handling and Lifting
Manual handling is a significant part of our removal operations and is managed carefully to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. All staff involved in lifting and carrying receive manual handling training relevant to their duties.
Employees are instructed to assess the load, route and environment before lifting, avoid lifting loads that are too heavy or unstable for one person, request assistance or use mechanical aids when needed, keep loads close to the body and avoid twisting while carrying, and take regular breaks when performing repetitive or strenuous manual tasks.
Vehicle and Driving Safety
Safe use of vehicles is essential to our work. We ensure that our vehicles are maintained in a roadworthy condition and that drivers are competent and appropriately licensed. Regular checks are carried out on brakes, lights, tyres, loading equipment and securing straps.
Drivers must conduct daily walk-around checks, secure all loads to prevent movement during transit, adhere to speed limits and traffic rules, avoid using handheld devices while driving, and plan routes to minimise congestion and unnecessary reversing. Where work involves long journeys, breaks will be scheduled to avoid driver fatigue and maintain concentration.
Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment
We provide suitable equipment to support safe removals, including trolleys, blankets, straps and tools for dismantling or securing items. Equipment is inspected regularly and removed from service if defective.
Where appropriate, personal protective equipment such as gloves, high-visibility clothing or safety footwear is provided and must be worn as instructed. Staff are responsible for reporting any damage or loss of protective equipment so that it can be replaced promptly.
Customer and Public Safety
Man and a Van Ealing takes reasonable steps to safeguard customers and members of the public during removal and delivery operations. We aim to keep access routes clear and free of trip hazards, use safe parking and loading areas where possible, communicate with customers about any short-term restrictions or risks on the day of the move, and take care when moving large items through shared spaces such as corridors, stairwells and pavements.
Training, Information and Supervision
All employees receive induction training covering general health and safety, safe manual handling, vehicle safety, emergency arrangements and company-specific procedures. Additional role-specific training is provided where necessary for driving, use of specialist equipment or supervisory duties.
We provide ongoing information and refresher training to ensure that staff remain competent and up to date with best practice. Supervisors monitor working methods on site to ensure compliance with this policy and to identify opportunities for improvement.
Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures
All accidents, incidents and near misses must be reported to management as soon as possible. We maintain records of such events, investigate causes, and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
Employees are briefed on emergency procedures, including fire safety, first aid arrangements and actions to take in the event of a collision or incident on the road. In an emergency, the safety of people takes priority over property or schedules.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy is monitored on an ongoing basis and formally reviewed at regular intervals or following significant changes in our operations. We take account of feedback from employees and customers, incident reports, evolving industry practices and legislative updates.
Man and a Van Ealing is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance, with the aim of delivering reliable, efficient and safe removal services throughout our operating area.
