Health and Safety policy

Man with Van Bow Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy explains how Man with Van Bow manages safety for our removal and delivery services. Our work often involves lifting, loading, driving and operating in homes, offices and commercial premises, so we place strong emphasis on preventing accidents, protecting our staff and customers, and safeguarding property.

We aim to carry out every move and transport job in a way that minimises risk, follows relevant UK health and safety legislation and reflects industry best practice for the removals sector.

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

Man with Van Bow is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, customers and any other people who may be affected by our activities. We will take all reasonably practicable steps to:

Identify, assess and control hazards associated with lifting, loading, unloading and transportation.
Provide and maintain vehicles, tools and equipment in a safe and roadworthy condition.
Offer suitable training, information and supervision so that work is carried out safely.
Promote a positive safety culture where all staff feel responsible for safety and are encouraged to report concerns or near misses.
Continually review and improve our safety procedures as our operations and legal requirements evolve.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man with Van Bow holds overall responsibility for ensuring that this Health and Safety Policy is implemented, monitored and reviewed regularly. Management will:

Set clear safety standards and ensure they are communicated to all staff.
Carry out and keep records of risk assessments for typical removal tasks, driving activities and specific jobs with unusual risks.
Ensure that vehicles used for removals are maintained in line with manufacturer guidance and legal requirements.
Provide appropriate safety equipment such as protective gloves, high-visibility clothing and securing straps where necessary.
Investigate accidents and incidents to identify causes and prevent recurrence.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee and contractor working with Man with Van Bow has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others. This includes a responsibility to:

Follow company procedures, safe systems of work and instructions provided during training.
Use any personal protective equipment and safety gear provided, and report defects immediately.
Operate lifting, securing and moving techniques that minimise the risk of strain or injury.
Report hazards, unsafe conditions, near misses or incidents to management as soon as possible.
Never carry out tasks for which they have not been trained or feel unsafe to perform.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We undertake risk assessments for our activities, including domestic and commercial moves, packing services and furniture transport. These assessments consider risks such as manual handling, slips and trips, falls from vehicles, vehicle movement, working in confined spaces, and handling fragile or heavy items.

Based on these assessments, we establish safe working practices, including:

Planning routes and parking to minimise reversing and unsafe loading conditions.
Checking properties for obstacles such as loose flooring, low ceilings, narrow staircases or poor lighting.
Using appropriate lifting aids, trolleys or additional labour for heavy or awkward items, where reasonably practicable.
Ensuring loads are evenly distributed, secured and within vehicle weight limits.
Maintaining clear walkways and safe access to and from the vehicle.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is one of the highest risk activities in removal work. Man with Van Bow trains staff in safe lifting techniques and expectations, such as:

Assessing the weight, shape and stability of items before attempting to lift or move them.
Seeking assistance or using equipment for heavy or bulky loads rather than attempting to move them alone.
Keeping loads close to the body, avoiding twisting, and using legs rather than the back to lift.
Taking regular breaks during demanding jobs to reduce fatigue-related risks.

Vehicle Safety and Driving

The safe operation of vehicles is critical to our removals service. We require that:

Only authorised and appropriately licensed drivers operate company vehicles.
Drivers carry out basic pre-use checks on tyres, lights, mirrors, fuel and securing points.
Loads are properly secured using straps, blankets and other suitable equipment to prevent movement during transit.
Drivers comply with road traffic laws, speed limits and parking regulations, and allow sufficient time for each job to avoid rushing.

Customer and Public Safety

Man with Van Bow is committed to safeguarding customers, their property and the general public. During loading and unloading, our teams will:

Clearly communicate with customers about access routes and any temporary risks.
Keep doors, gates and pathways as clear as reasonably practicable.
Use caution when moving items through shared spaces such as corridors and stairwells.
Act to prevent unauthorised persons, especially children, from entering hazardous work areas.

Training, Information and Supervision

We provide staff with training relevant to their roles, which may include manual handling, vehicle safety, load security and job-specific safe working procedures. New staff receive induction training covering our Health and Safety Policy and expectations.

Ongoing supervision helps ensure that training is applied correctly and that any gaps in knowledge or practice are addressed. Where the nature of work changes, additional training and guidance will be provided.

Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, incidents, injuries and near misses arising from our work must be reported to management. We keep records of such events and review them to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.

Staff are instructed on what to do in the event of an emergency, including seeking medical assistance, making the area safe so far as possible, and notifying relevant authorities where required.

Policy Review

This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary, for example when there are changes in legislation, our range of services or the scale of our operations. Any revisions will be communicated to employees and contractors so that they remain aware of their responsibilities and our standards.

By following this policy, Man with Van Bow seeks to ensure that our removal and transport services are carried out in a safe, professional and responsible manner for everyone involved.