Health and Safety Policy for Man with Van Custom House

Man with Van Custom House is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our employees, customers, subcontractors and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and transport activities. This policy explains how we manage health and safety across all moving, loading, transport and delivery work carried out by our company.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Our objective is to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment during every man and van and removal service we carry out. To achieve this, we will identify hazards, assess risks and implement sensible control measures so that our work is carried out as safely as reasonably practicable.

Management Responsibilities

Company management is responsible for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes:

Ensuring that safe systems of work are in place for all removal and transport activities. Providing suitable equipment, vehicles, tools and protective equipment that are properly maintained. Making sure staff receive appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision. Reviewing incidents, near misses and customer feedback to improve safety standards. Keeping this policy under regular review and updating it to reflect changes in legislation, guidance or operational practices.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees and regular subcontractors working with Man with Van Custom House share responsibility for health and safety. Every team member must:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Follow all safety procedures, training and instructions given. Use equipment, vehicles and protective gear in a safe and responsible manner. Report hazards, near misses, accidents, equipment defects and unsafe practices immediately to management. Cooperate with management to help meet health and safety requirements and improvements.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We carry out risk assessments for our core activities, including domestic removals, commercial moves, furniture collection and delivery, loading and unloading, and transport between properties. These risk assessments are used to create safe working procedures that cover:

Manual handling of furniture, appliances, boxes and heavy items. Use of moving equipment such as sack trucks, dollies and straps. Safe loading and securing of items in vans to prevent movement during transit. Working in and around properties, stairs, lifts and shared access areas. Parking, reversing and manoeuvring vehicles safely. Working in varying weather and lighting conditions.

Manual Handling and Lifting Safety

Manual handling is a key part of our moving service. To reduce the risk of strains, sprains and other injuries, Man with Van Custom House will:

Provide manual handling training for staff, focusing on correct lifting techniques and team lifting methods. Plan lifts before starting work, including route, access points and resting spots. Use handling aids and moving equipment wherever suitable. Avoid single-person lifting of excessively heavy or awkward items. Encourage staff to stop and reassess if a lift or route appears unsafe.

Use of Vehicles and Driving Standards

Our removals and man and van services depend on safe vehicle use. We are committed to:

Ensuring that vehicles are roadworthy and regularly inspected. Securing loads correctly so that items do not move or fall during transport. Planning routes to minimise unnecessary risks where possible. Encouraging safe driving behaviours, including adherence to speed limits and traffic regulations. Avoiding driving when fatigued and promoting suitable breaks on longer journeys.

Customer and Public Safety

We recognise our duty to protect customers, visitors, neighbours and members of the public while we carry out removal work. Our teams will:

Keep access routes as clear as reasonably possible during loading and unloading. Use safe lifting and carrying routes through properties to reduce the risk of trips and collisions. Communicate clearly with customers about where it is safe or unsafe to stand during moving operations. Take care when opening vehicle doors and moving items onto pavements or shared access ways.

Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment

We will provide and maintain suitable equipment and personal protective equipment where the nature of the work requires it. Staff must use this equipment correctly and report any defects immediately. All equipment will be inspected regularly to ensure it remains fit for purpose and safe to use.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man with Van Custom House will provide appropriate training to ensure our team members understand how to perform their duties safely. This may include induction training for new staff, task-specific instruction for removal and transport activities, safe manual handling techniques and refreshers when procedures or equipment change. Supervisors will monitor working practices and give guidance where needed.

Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents, damage and near misses must be reported as soon as possible to management. We will record and, where necessary, investigate these events to identify root causes and introduce control measures to prevent recurrence. Lessons learned from such incidents will be communicated to staff and used to improve our policies and procedures.

Health, Welfare and Fitness for Work

We recognise that moving work can be physically demanding. Staff must be fit for work and are encouraged to notify management of any health issues that could affect their ability to carry out tasks safely, particularly those involving lifting or driving. We do not tolerate the use of drugs or alcohol during working hours or before duty in a way that could impair performance or safety.

Consultation and Continuous Improvement

We aim to involve employees in discussions about health and safety. Suggestions for improving safety during removals, loading, unloading or transport are welcomed and will be considered by management. This policy and associated procedures will be reviewed regularly, and at least annually, to ensure they remain effective and suitable for the nature and scale of the services provided by Man with Van Custom House.

Policy Review and Availability

This Health and Safety Policy is a statement of our ongoing commitment to keeping people safe during our moving and man and van operations. It will be reviewed periodically and whenever there are significant changes in our activities or in relevant regulations or guidance. The policy is available to employees, customers and interested parties on request so that everyone can understand the standards we aim to uphold.