Health and Safety Policy for Removal Van Elephant and Castle
This Health and Safety policy explains how Removal Van Elephant and Castle manages risks to protect our employees, customers, subcontractors and the general public during removal and delivery activities. Our aim is to provide a safe and professional removals service while meeting our legal duties under applicable health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards.
Policy Statement and Objectives
Removal Van Elephant and Castle is committed to preventing injury, ill health and property damage arising from our operations. We will identify hazards, assess risks and implement practical control measures to keep risks as low as reasonably practicable. We will provide information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure work is carried out safely at all times.
Our primary objectives are to safeguard people involved in and affected by our services, maintain safe vehicles and equipment, promote safe lifting and handling, ensure clear communication with customers, and strive for continuous improvement in health and safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
Management is responsible for implementing this policy and providing the resources needed to uphold it. This includes planning safe systems of work for removal jobs, carrying out or reviewing site-specific risk assessments where required, selecting and maintaining suitable vehicles and equipment, ensuring staff receive appropriate training and refresher training, and investigating accidents, near misses and incidents to prevent recurrence.
Supervisors and team leaders must brief staff on job-specific risks, monitor work practices and correct unsafe behaviour immediately, ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment is used where necessary, and liaise with customers about any on-site safety concerns.
Employee Responsibilities
Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Staff must follow the safety instructions and procedures given to them, use equipment and vehicles only as trained and authorised, report hazards, defects, near misses and accidents without delay, wear any required personal protective equipment, and cooperate fully with health and safety measures implemented by the company.
Employees must not work under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any substance that could impair judgement or performance. Any medication that may affect fitness to work must be reported to management.
Safe Lifting and Manual Handling
Manual handling is a key part of removal work. Removal Van Elephant and Castle promotes safe lifting techniques to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. Wherever reasonably possible we use trolleys, dollies, lifting straps and other handling aids. Heavy or awkward items are handled by enough trained staff to ensure control, stability and safety.
Staff are trained to assess the weight and shape of items before lifting, plan the route and clear obstacles in advance, keep loads close to the body and avoid twisting while carrying, seek assistance rather than attempting to lift items beyond their capability, and stop work immediately if an item cannot be moved safely.
Vehicles, Driving and Road Safety
Our vehicles are maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition. Regular checks are carried out on brakes, tyres, lights and other safety-critical components. Drivers must complete basic pre-use checks and report any defects promptly so that remedial action can be taken.
Only authorised and competent drivers may operate our vehicles. Drivers are required to follow road traffic laws at all times, including speed limits and parking regulations. Loads are secured appropriately to prevent movement in transit and to avoid risk to staff and other road users when doors are opened.
Drivers must not use handheld mobile devices while driving. Breaks are taken as required to reduce fatigue, and routes are planned to minimise unnecessary risks where feasible.
Customer Premises and Site Safety
Our teams work in a variety of domestic and commercial environments. Safety at each location is a shared responsibility between Removal Van Elephant and Castle and the customer. We rely on customers to provide accurate information about access constraints, stairs, lifts, parking, loading bays and any known hazards, to ensure that safe and legal parking or loading arrangements are in place where feasible, to keep walkways, stairs and entrances as clear and well-lit as reasonably possible, and to control pets and children away from moving vehicles and handling operations.
Our staff will take care to avoid damage and reduce risks by using appropriate lifting methods for narrow or restricted spaces, using floor protection or corner guards where practicable, communicating with the customer about any concerns that may affect safety, and suspending work if they believe conditions are unsafe until the issue is addressed.
Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment and Maintenance
We provide tools and handling equipment suitable for typical removal tasks and ensure items are inspected and maintained according to manufacturer guidance and legal requirements. Damaged or defective equipment must not be used and must be reported immediately.
Where the risk assessment identifies the need, personal protective equipment such as gloves or safety footwear is provided. Employees must use this equipment correctly, look after it and request replacement if it becomes damaged or ineffective.
Risk Assessment and Control Measures
Risk assessment is central to our approach. For routine removals we operate standard procedures based on generic risk assessments. For non-standard items, unusual access conditions or higher-risk environments, a site-specific assessment may be carried out by a competent person.
Control measures can include planning additional manpower for very heavy items, using specialist equipment or external specialists when appropriate, altering the route or method of moving goods to avoid hazards, and postponing work if weather or environmental conditions create unreasonable risk.
Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Arrangements
All accidents, injuries, near misses, damage to property or vehicle incidents must be reported to management as soon as possible. Records are maintained in line with legal and insurance requirements. Where necessary, incidents are investigated to identify causes and implement corrective actions.
Team members are briefed on basic emergency procedures at the start of employment, including how to respond to personal injury, fire at a property or in a vehicle, and traffic collisions involving company vehicles. Emergency services are contacted whenever there is a risk to life, serious injury or significant danger to the public.
Training, Communication and Continuous Improvement
Removal Van Elephant and Castle provides initial induction training and ongoing instruction covering safe lifting and handling, vehicle and equipment use, hazard awareness and reporting, and customer interaction with a focus on safety. Toolbox talks or briefings are used to reinforce important topics and share lessons learned from incidents.
We encourage feedback from staff and customers about any safety concerns or suggestions. This feedback, along with incident data and changes in legislation or best practice, is used to review and improve our health and safety arrangements.
Policy Review
This Health and Safety policy is reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to our business activities, legal requirements or recognised industry guidance. Updated versions are communicated to all employees and are available for customers to read on request.
By working together to follow this policy, Removal Van Elephant and Castle aims to deliver a professional, efficient and safe removals service across our operating area.
