Man With a Van Vauxhall Health and Safety Policy

Man With a Van Vauxhall is committed to providing removal and transport services in a way that protects the health, safety, and welfare of our employees, contractors, customers, and the general public. This policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with domestic and commercial moves, furniture delivery, and related transport activities.

We recognise our responsibilities under relevant health and safety legislation and industry best practice. Our aim is to prevent injury, ill health, and damage to property by planning work carefully, supplying suitable equipment, and ensuring that everyone involved understands their responsibilities.

Policy Objectives

Our key health and safety objectives are to:

Identify and control risks associated with removals, loading, unloading, transport, and manual handling tasks.

Provide safe systems of work that are understood and followed by all workers.

Ensure staff are trained and competent in safe lifting, carrying, and use of equipment.

Maintain vehicles and equipment in a safe and roadworthy condition.

Protect customers and members of the public during all stages of a move or delivery.

Continuously improve health and safety standards through review and feedback.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Man With a Van Vauxhall is responsible for implementing this policy and providing the resources necessary to meet our obligations. This includes:

Carrying out and reviewing written risk assessments for typical and higher risk moving tasks.

Planning each job to consider access issues, parking, heavy or awkward items, and any special hazards.

Ensuring that suitable equipment is available, such as trolleys, straps, blankets, ramps, and protective gear.

Providing appropriate health and safety information, instruction, and training to staff and regular contractors.

Investigating incidents and near misses and acting on the findings to prevent recurrence.

Monitoring compliance with safe working procedures, including on-site checks where practical.

Employee and Contractor Responsibilities

Every person working for or on behalf of Man With a Van Vauxhall has a duty to protect their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. All workers are expected to:

Follow all safe working procedures and instructions provided by the company.

Use vehicles, tools, and equipment only for their intended purpose and in the correct manner.

Report any hazards, damaged equipment, unsafe conditions, or incidents immediately to management.

Wear any personal protective equipment provided where its use is required.

Avoid taking shortcuts or unnecessary risks to save time or effort.

Communicate clearly with team members and customers to coordinate safe lifting and moving.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Risk assessment is central to how we approach each removal and transport task. We assess:

Access routes, stairs, lifts, and doorways.

Weight, shape, and fragility of items to be moved.

Parking, loading, and unloading points.

Potential trip, slip, and fall hazards.

Weather conditions and lighting.

Where a higher risk is identified, additional controls are put in place. These may include using extra staff, specialist lifting equipment, dismantling items, or adjusting the planned route. Staff are expected to reassess conditions on the day of the job and to stop work if they believe there is a serious risk to safety.

Manual Handling and Lifting

Manual handling is a key part of removal work and can present a significant risk of injury if not carried out correctly. Man With a Van Vauxhall focuses on:

Training staff in correct lifting techniques, including team lifts for heavy or awkward items.

Using handling aids such as dollies, trolleys, and sliders wherever they can reduce strain.

Planning lifts to avoid twisting, overreaching, or carrying loads over long distances.

Refusing to move items that exceed safe manual handling limits unless appropriate equipment and support are available.

Taking breaks when needed to avoid fatigue and reduce the risk of accidents.

Vehicle Safety and Loading

Our vehicles are essential to providing a reliable moving service and must be operated safely at all times. We are committed to:

Carrying out regular vehicle checks, including tyres, brakes, lights, and load securing points.

Ensuring drivers are properly licensed, competent, and aware of their responsibilities under road traffic law.

Loading vehicles so that weight is distributed evenly and items are properly restrained.

Using straps, blankets, and padding to secure and protect goods during transport.

Preventing overloading and complying with all applicable weight and height limits.

Parking considerately and safely at pickup and delivery addresses to minimise risk to pedestrians and other road users.

Customer, Property, and Public Safety

We aim to carry out all work in a way that protects customers, their property, and anyone nearby. This includes:

Maintaining clear access routes and keeping floors as free as possible from trip hazards such as packing materials.

Advising customers and others to stay clear of moving operations, particularly on stairs and near vehicle loading areas.

Taking care to avoid damage to walls, floors, doors, and fixtures by using covers or protection where practical.

Being especially cautious in shared spaces such as communal hallways, driveways, and pavements.

Keeping noise, obstruction, and disruption to a reasonable minimum.

Training, Information, and Supervision

Man With a Van Vauxhall provides initial and ongoing training appropriate to each role. This may include:

Induction on company health and safety procedures.

Manual handling and safe lifting techniques.

Safe loading and securing of goods.

Use of handling aids and protective equipment.

Defensive driving and road safety awareness for drivers.

Supervision, mentoring, and regular briefings are used to maintain standards and reinforce safe practices, especially for new or less experienced staff.

Accident and Incident Reporting

All accidents, injuries, near misses, and instances of damage to property or vehicles must be reported as soon as possible. We keep records of these events and use them to:

Identify causes and contributing factors.

Review existing risk assessments and controls.

Provide additional training or equipment where required.

Update procedures to prevent similar incidents.

Review of This Policy

This health and safety policy is reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes in our operations, equipment, or legal requirements. Updates are communicated to staff and contractors, and the most recent version is made available to customers on request.

By working together, following this policy, and speaking up about concerns, everyone involved with Man With a Van Vauxhall helps to create a safer environment for our teams, our customers, and the wider community.