Health and Safety Policy for Our Moving Services

This Health and Safety policy sets out how our moving company manages safety for our employees, customers, visitors, and the general public. Our services involve handling, transporting, loading, and unloading household and commercial goods. These activities carry inherent risks, and we are committed to managing those risks in a planned and responsible way.

Our Health and Safety Commitment

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for everyone affected by our operations. We aim to prevent accidents, injuries, and work-related ill health by identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing effective control measures. Health and safety considerations form an integral part of planning and delivering every move.

All employees, contractors, and representatives are expected to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Compliance with this policy and with all relevant health and safety instructions is a condition of working for our company.

Responsibilities and Roles

Senior management has overall responsibility for health and safety within the company. They ensure that appropriate resources, procedures, and training are in place to maintain high standards of safety in all moving and storage activities.

Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for day-to-day implementation of this policy on site and in vehicles. They must lead by example, ensure that work is carried out safely, and intervene if unsafe practices are observed.

All employees are responsible for following safe systems of work, using equipment correctly, reporting hazards and incidents promptly, and cooperating fully with training and safety instructions.

Risk Assessment and Planning

Prior to each move, we assess the main health and safety risks associated with the property, access routes, and items to be moved. This may include consideration of stairways, lifts, uneven surfaces, parking, traffic, weather conditions, and the size, weight, or fragility of items.

Where significant risks are identified, control measures are planned before work begins. These may include allocating extra staff, using mechanical aids, adjusting access routes, scheduling work to avoid congestion, or declining work that cannot be carried out safely.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is central to removal work and presents a risk of strain and injury if not managed correctly. Our employees receive instruction in safe lifting techniques, team lifting, and the use of handling aids such as dollies, trolleys, straps, and ramps.

Staff are required to assess the load before lifting, check the route is clear, and seek assistance or mechanical support for large or awkward items. Unsafe lifting, rushing, and overloading are not permitted. Tools and equipment must be inspected before use and taken out of service if damaged or defective.

Vehicles and Driving Safety

Our moving vehicles are maintained in a roadworthy condition in line with legal and manufacturer requirements. Drivers must hold the appropriate licence and follow all road traffic laws, including speed limits and restrictions on mobile phone use.

Vehicles must be loaded and secured so that goods cannot shift dangerously in transit. Access steps, tail lifts, and ramps must be used correctly, with particular care taken in wet or icy conditions. No one is permitted to ride in the rear of vehicles during transit.

Personal Protective Equipment

Where necessary, we provide personal protective equipment such as protective footwear, gloves, and high visibility clothing. Employees must use this equipment when instructed to do so and must look after it carefully. Any damaged or defective equipment must be reported and replaced promptly.

Safe Working on Customer Premises

Our teams work in homes, offices, and other premises. We aim to protect not only our staff but also customers, visitors, and the public. Access routes are kept as clear as reasonably possible, and where practical we restrict entry to working areas while heavy items are being moved.

Our staff are instructed to act with respect and care when handling customer property, to avoid creating trip hazards with tools, packing materials, or trailing cables, and to keep fire exits, doorways, and stairwells unobstructed.

Hazardous Substances and Restricted Items

We do not normally transport dangerous or prohibited items such as flammable liquids, gas cylinders, explosives, or certain chemicals. Customers are advised in advance of any restrictions that apply. If hazardous substances are found during a move, work may be paused while the situation is made safe.

Training, Information, and Supervision

All new employees receive induction training covering the key health and safety risks of removal work, safe lifting, vehicle safety, and incident reporting. Ongoing training and refresher sessions are provided where needed, particularly when new equipment or procedures are introduced.

Team leaders supervise on-site work to ensure that safe practices are followed. They are responsible for reinforcing training, correcting unsafe behaviour, and reporting any significant concerns to management.

Accidents, Incidents, and Near Misses

All accidents, injuries, and near misses that occur during our operations must be reported as soon as possible to the responsible person. We record these events and investigate them where appropriate so that we can identify causes and prevent recurrence.

Where required by law, certain incidents will be reported to the relevant authorities. We share key findings from investigations with staff and use them to improve procedures, equipment, and training.

Wellbeing and Fitness for Work

Moving work can be physically demanding. Employees are encouraged to look after their health, warm up before heavy tasks, and speak up if they feel unfit for a particular job. Working while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or fatigue is strictly prohibited.

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

We monitor our health and safety performance through incident reports, staff feedback, vehicle checks, and site observations. This policy and associated procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective, relevant, and in line with current legislation and industry best practice.

By following this Health and Safety policy, we aim to deliver moving services that protect our teams, our customers, and the communities in which we operate.