Marylebone Removals Health and Safety Policy

Marylebone Removals 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 relocation activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with domestic and commercial moves, packing, transportation and storage of goods.

Policy Aims and Objectives

The primary objective of this policy is to prevent injury, ill health, property damage and environmental harm arising from our operations. We will achieve this by identifying hazards, assessing risks, implementing effective control measures and reviewing our procedures regularly. Our aim is to integrate health and safety into every stage of our removal services, from initial survey through to final delivery.

Management Responsibilities

The management team at Marylebone Removals has overall responsibility for health and safety performance. Management will provide leadership, resources and support to ensure that legal requirements and industry best practices are met or exceeded. This includes setting clear health and safety objectives, monitoring performance and ensuring that all staff understand and follow this policy.

Managers and supervisors are responsible for implementing safe systems of work, conducting workplace inspections, addressing identified hazards without delay and ensuring that employees receive appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision. They must also investigate incidents and near misses to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.

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. Staff must cooperate fully with company policies and procedures, use equipment correctly, report hazards or defects promptly and attend mandatory training sessions.

Employees must never misuse or interfere with equipment provided for health and safety purposes, including personal protective equipment, lifting aids and vehicle safety systems. Any concerns about unsafe conditions, workloads or time pressures that could compromise safety must be raised immediately with a supervisor or manager.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Marylebone Removals will carry out risk assessments for all significant activities, including home and office moves, packing services, loading and unloading vehicles, driving, storage operations and work carried out at client premises. These assessments will identify hazards such as manual handling, slips and trips, working in confined or high-density spaces, vehicle movements and interaction with the public.

Findings from risk assessments will be used to develop and maintain safe systems of work. These may include step-by-step procedures for lifting and carrying, team lifting techniques, use of trolleys and other handling aids, safe stacking of goods, traffic management arrangements for vehicles and clear communication with clients to ensure access routes are safe and unobstructed.

Training and Competence

We recognise that competent, well-trained staff are essential to delivering safe and reliable removal services. All new employees will receive an induction covering company health and safety rules, emergency procedures, manual handling techniques, use of equipment and reporting arrangements.

Ongoing training will be provided where necessary, including refresher training in manual handling, vehicle safety, working at height when required and use of specialist equipment. Drivers will be expected to maintain high standards of road safety and comply with all traffic regulations. Records of training and qualifications will be maintained and reviewed regularly.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is a core element of removal work and presents a significant risk of injury if not properly controlled. Marylebone Removals will minimise manual handling risks by careful planning, use of mechanical aids and ensuring correct lifting techniques are used. Employees must assess the weight, shape and stability of items before lifting and must not attempt to move loads that are beyond their capability.

All vehicles, lifting aids, trolleys, ramps and securing equipment will be maintained in a safe condition and inspected at appropriate intervals. Defective equipment must be reported immediately and taken out of use until repaired or replaced.

Vehicles, Driving and Road Safety

The safe operation of our vehicles is critical to protecting employees, customers and other road users. Drivers must be authorised and appropriately licensed. Vehicles will be maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and legal requirements, with regular checks on brakes, tyres, lights, securing points and load areas.

Loads must be evenly distributed and adequately secured to prevent movement during transit. Drivers are required to plan routes sensibly, allow adequate time for journeys, comply with speed limits and adapt their driving to road and weather conditions. Mobile devices must not be used while driving except through approved hands-free systems and only when it is safe to do so.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

Many of our activities take place in and around customer homes, offices and shared access areas. Particular care will be taken to protect customers, visitors and members of the public from risks associated with our work. This includes maintaining clear walkways, using warning signs or verbal warnings when appropriate, managing doors and access points safely and controlling vehicle movements in residential streets and busy urban locations.

Where access is restricted or presents unusual hazards, our staff will work with the customer to agree a safe approach, which may involve additional equipment, extra personnel or changes to the planned method of work.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported and recorded in accordance with company procedures. This allows us to investigate causes, learn from events and implement measures to prevent recurrence. First aid arrangements will be in place and employees will be informed of how to obtain assistance in the event of an injury or sudden illness.

Emergency procedures, including fire precautions, evacuation routes and assembly points, will be communicated to staff, particularly when working at storage facilities or large commercial sites. Employees must familiarise themselves with local emergency arrangements at each job location.

Consultation, Monitoring and Review

Marylebone Removals is committed to consulting with employees on matters affecting their health, safety and welfare. Feedback from staff and customers on safety issues is actively encouraged and will be taken into account when updating procedures.

Our health and safety performance will be monitored through inspections, audits, training reviews and analysis of accident data. This policy and associated procedures will be reviewed regularly, and whenever there are significant changes in legislation, work activities, equipment or operating locations, to ensure they remain effective and relevant.

By working together and maintaining a strong safety culture, Marylebone Removals aims to deliver reliable, efficient and safe removal services for every customer.