Health and Safety policy
Roehampton Movers Health and Safety Policy
Roehampton Movers is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, customers and members of the public affected by our removals activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our objectives, responsibilities and procedures for managing risks associated with domestic and commercial moving services.
Our aim is to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and disruption to our clients by integrating health and safety into every stage of our removals operations, from planning and packing through to transport and final delivery.
Policy Aims and Objectives
The core aims of this Health and Safety Policy are to:
Promote a strong safety culture throughout Roehampton Movers and across all removal projects. Comply with all applicable health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards relevant to moving and handling. Identify, assess and control risks associated with lifting, carrying, driving, working at height, and operating in customer premises. Provide appropriate information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure that all staff are competent to carry out their duties safely. Review performance regularly and seek continuous improvement in our safety practices.
Management Responsibilities
The management team at Roehampton Movers holds overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. Management will:
Ensure that adequate resources are made available to manage health and safety effectively, including appropriate vehicles, moving equipment and protective gear. Conduct and review risk assessments for all relevant activities, including home moves, office relocations and specialist item transport. Establish safe systems of work for packing, loading, unloading and transporting customer belongings. Monitor compliance with health and safety procedures through regular inspections, audits and incident reviews. Consult with employees on health and safety matters and encourage feedback to improve working practices.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees, including drivers, porters, supervisors and administrative staff, share a duty of care for their own safety and that of others. Employees must:
Follow all health and safety instructions, training and procedures provided by Roehampton Movers. Use equipment, vehicles, tools and protective clothing in accordance with training and manufacturer guidance. Report any hazards, defects, near misses, injuries or unsafe conditions to management without delay. Cooperate fully in incident investigations and risk assessments. Refrain from any behaviour that could endanger themselves, colleagues, customers or members of the public, including working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
Roehampton Movers carries out formal risk assessments for typical and specialist removal activities. These assessments consider potential hazards such as manual handling injuries, slips and trips, falls from height, collisions during vehicle movements, and risks associated with handling fragile or heavy items. Safe working methods are then developed and communicated to staff.
Before each job, team leaders will review the specific conditions of the property, access routes, parking arrangements and any special customer requirements. Where needed, additional controls will be put in place, for example extra staff for large or heavy loads, restricted access zones, or the use of lifting equipment.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is central to removals work and is a key focus of our safety management. Roehampton Movers will:
Provide manual handling training covering lifting techniques, team lifts, use of moving aids and recognition of personal limits. Encourage staff to assess the weight and shape of each item and to request assistance or equipment where necessary. Supply appropriate equipment such as sack trucks, dollies, furniture sliders, straps and blankets to reduce strain and risk of injury. Prohibit unsafe lifting practices, including twisting while lifting, overreaching, or attempting to move items that exceed safe limits.
Vehicle and Driving Safety
The safe operation of removal vehicles is essential to protect staff, customers and other road users. Roehampton Movers will ensure that:
Vehicles are regularly inspected, serviced and maintained in safe working order. Drivers hold the correct licences and receive suitable training in safe loading, securing of loads, route planning and driving techniques. Loads are distributed evenly and secured to prevent movement during transit, with particular care taken for fragile, high value or awkward items. Drivers manage working hours and rest breaks in line with legal requirements and company rules to reduce fatigue-related risks.
Customer Premises and Public Safety
Removals often take place in busy or confined environments such as homes, apartment buildings, offices and shared access areas. To protect customers and the public, Roehampton Movers will:
Plan access routes and clearly communicate any restricted areas to customers and building users. Use warning signs or verbal warnings when necessary, particularly where lifting is taking place on stairs or in narrow corridors. Keep walkways as clear as reasonably practicable and manage trailing straps or loose materials to prevent trips. Show respect for customer property, avoiding damage to floors, walls, doors and fixtures by using appropriate protection and careful handling techniques.
Training, Supervision and Competence
Roehampton Movers recognises that competent staff are vital to safe removals. The company will:
Provide induction training for new employees, covering core health and safety rules, emergency arrangements and job-specific hazards. Deliver ongoing training in manual handling, safe use of equipment, vehicle safety and customer care. Ensure that inexperienced staff are supervised by experienced team members until they are assessed as competent. Keep appropriate records of training and authorisations.
Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures
All accidents, injuries, work-related ill health and near misses that occur during Roehampton Movers activities must be reported promptly to management. This information is used to investigate causes, identify underlying issues and prevent recurrence.
Emergency procedures, including response to injuries, fire, vehicle breakdowns and property damage, are communicated to staff. Team leaders are responsible for coordinating the response to incidents on site, ensuring that people are kept safe, emergency services are contacted when necessary, and details are recorded accurately.
Policy Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required to reflect changes in legislation, industry practice, our range of removal services, and feedback from staff and customers. Roehampton Movers is committed to learning from experience and continually improving our safety standards.
By working together, management and employees will maintain a safe and professional removals service that protects our teams, our customers and the wider community.
