Man With a Van Finsbury Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van Finsbury is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our removal and transport activities. This policy sets out our approach to managing health and safety risks associated with house removals, office moves, furniture transport and related services.

Our objectives are to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment, and to continually improve our health and safety performance. This policy applies to all aspects of our operations, including driving, loading and unloading, manual handling, working at customer premises and work carried out in any storage or parking areas we use.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man With a Van Finsbury accepts overall responsibility for health and safety and will ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, adequate resources are provided to implement this policy. This includes providing suitable vehicles and equipment, training our team, and monitoring working practices.

Managers and supervisors are responsible for:

Assessing risks related to removal activities and introducing appropriate control measures. Ensuring staff follow safe systems of work and wear any necessary personal protective equipment. Planning work to minimise risks at customer addresses and during travel between locations. Investigating accidents, incidents and near misses, and taking corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Keeping this policy and associated procedures under regular review.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. All members of our team must cooperate with Man With a Van Finsbury in implementing this policy and associated procedures.

Employees are required to:

Follow all safety instructions and training provided. Use equipment, tools and vehicles in accordance with guidance and report any defects immediately. Conduct lifting, carrying and loading tasks using correct manual handling techniques. Wear appropriate clothing and protective equipment when necessary. Report hazards, near misses, incidents and injuries without delay. Refrain from any unsafe behaviour, horseplay or working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We carry out risk assessments for our key activities, including domestic removals, commercial moves, furniture transport, loading and unloading, and driving. These assessments consider hazards such as moving heavy items, working in confined or cluttered spaces, navigating stairs, handling fragile goods, and working in varying weather and traffic conditions.

From these assessments we establish safe systems of work that cover planning each job, arranging sufficient manpower, using appropriate lifting techniques and equipment, securing loads safely in the van, and maintaining good housekeeping at all times. Staff are expected to follow these procedures and raise any concerns if working conditions change or new risks are identified.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is a core part of removal work and is managed carefully to reduce the risk of strain and injury. Our approach includes job planning to avoid unnecessary lifting, using handling aids such as trolleys when appropriate, and encouraging team lifting for heavy or awkward items. Employees receive guidance on posture, lifting methods and communication when moving large objects through tight spaces or stairwells.

Any tools or equipment used, such as moving straps, blankets or trolleys, must be checked before use. Items that are worn or damaged are taken out of service and reported for replacement. Employees must never improvise with unsuitable equipment or attempt lifts beyond their capability.

Vehicle and Driving Safety

Our vehicles are maintained to a safe standard, and regular checks are carried out to ensure they remain roadworthy and appropriate for the work undertaken. Loads must be evenly distributed and securely restrained to prevent movement during transit. Doors and tailgates must be properly closed and locked before departure.

Drivers are responsible for operating vehicles safely, observing speed limits and traffic regulations, and driving in a manner that protects passengers, other road users and the load being carried. Drivers must be fit to drive, take adequate breaks and must not use mobile devices while driving except in a hands free format where legally permitted and safe to do so.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

When working at customer premises, our staff will take reasonable steps to protect the property and ensure the safety of occupants and visitors. This includes planning access routes for large items, keeping walkways clear, avoiding trip hazards from tools or packing materials, and using extra care on stairs and narrow corridors.

Where work is carried out on or near public footpaths, communal entrances or shared spaces, we will aim to minimise obstruction and risk to the public. This may include cordoning off areas where practical, verbally warning people of potential hazards, and moving vehicles to reduce risk when loading or unloading.

Training, Information and Supervision

Man With a Van Finsbury provides appropriate induction and ongoing training to all staff so they can perform their tasks safely and competently. This may include training on manual handling, safe loading and unloading, vehicle safety, use of equipment, personal protective equipment and emergency procedures.

Information about hazards and controls is communicated clearly, and supervision is provided where necessary, particularly for new staff or for higher risk tasks. We encourage open communication so that employees can raise questions or concerns around safety at any time.

Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, incidents, near misses, injuries and cases of work related ill health must be reported as soon as possible to management. This enables us to record events, investigate underlying causes and introduce measures to prevent recurrence.

Staff are briefed on what to do in an emergency situation, such as injury at work, fire at a property, road traffic accidents or dangerous occurrences while loading or unloading. This may include contacting the emergency services, making the area safe where possible, assisting injured persons within the limits of their training, and notifying management at the earliest opportunity.

Continuous Improvement and Policy Review

Man With a Van Finsbury is committed to continual improvement in health and safety performance. We review our policy and procedures on a regular basis, and sooner if there are significant changes to our operations, relevant legislation, or if incident investigations highlight the need for change.

We also welcome feedback from employees and customers on health and safety matters, and we use this feedback to refine our working methods, training and risk controls. This Health and Safety Policy is communicated to all staff and is available to customers on request so that everyone understands our approach to managing safety in our removal and transport services.