Health and Safety policy
South Kensington Movers Health and Safety Policy
South Kensington Movers is committed to maintaining the highest practical standards of health and safety for our employees, customers, contractors, and members of the public. This policy sets out our approach to identifying, managing, and reducing risks associated with removal, packing, loading, transport, and delivery of household and commercial goods.
Our aim is to provide a safe working environment, prevent injuries and ill health, and ensure that all removal operations are carried out responsibly and professionally.
Policy Aims and Objectives
The core objectives of this Health and Safety Policy are to prevent accidents and work-related ill health, comply with applicable health and safety legislation, continually assess and control risks throughout our removal operations, provide clear information, instruction, and training to our staff, and promote a positive health and safety culture across the company.
We recognise that safe working is essential to the quality of service we provide and to the confidence that customers place in our removal teams.
Management Responsibilities
The management of South Kensington Movers has overall responsibility for health and safety within the company. This includes setting clear standards, providing adequate resources, ensuring risk assessments are completed and acted upon, maintaining safe systems of work, and reviewing this policy regularly to ensure it remains effective and up to date.
Managers and supervisors are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this policy. They must lead by example, monitor working practices, and take prompt action if unsafe conditions or behaviours are identified.
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. All staff must follow company safety procedures, use equipment correctly, report hazards, accidents, and near misses, cooperate with managers on health and safety matters, and attend training and safety briefings as required.
Failure to adhere to health and safety procedures may result in disciplinary action, as unsafe practices place colleagues, customers, and the public at risk.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
South Kensington Movers carries out risk assessments for key activities, including manual handling of furniture and boxes, packing and unpacking, use of lifting equipment, loading and unloading vehicles, driving and parking near customers properties, and working in confined spaces, stairwells, or shared access areas.
From these assessments we develop safe systems of work and method statements that guide our teams in performing tasks safely. These procedures are communicated to staff through training and supervision, and are reviewed whenever working methods, equipment, or locations change.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is a significant part of removal work and can present a risk of injury if not managed correctly. We minimise these risks by planning each move to reduce unnecessary lifting, providing handling aids such as trolleys, dollies, and straps, ensuring weight limits are respected and loads are shared where necessary, training staff in good lifting technique and team handling, and encouraging staff to stop and seek assistance whenever a load feels unsafe or unmanageable.
All equipment, including lifting aids, ramps, and vehicle tail lifts, is inspected and maintained at appropriate intervals. Faulty or damaged equipment is removed from service immediately until repaired or replaced.
Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards
Our vehicles are central to our removal services and must be operated safely at all times. We are committed to ensuring that vehicles are maintained and inspected in line with legal requirements and manufacturer guidance, loads are secured correctly to prevent movement during transit, drivers hold appropriate licences and are competent and trained, and driving practices reflect safe speeds, careful manoeuvring, and consideration for other road users and pedestrians.
Drivers are required to carry out basic pre-use vehicle checks and to report any defects or concerns without delay.
Customer and Public Safety
We recognise that our work often takes place in customers homes, offices, shared buildings, and public streets. Protecting customers and the public during removal operations is a priority. Our teams will plan access routes and loading areas to minimise obstruction, use warning signs or verbal warnings where there is a risk to passers-by, keep work areas as tidy as reasonably practicable, paying attention to trip hazards such as packing materials, and handle customer property with care to avoid damage and associated hazards like broken glass or sharp edges.
Where loading or unloading near public areas is unavoidable, our staff will take extra care to manage vehicle movements and minimise disruption.
Information, Instruction, and Training
South Kensington Movers provides all employees with appropriate health and safety training relevant to their roles. This includes induction training for new starters, manual handling training for removal staff, safe use of equipment and vehicles, and refresher training where necessary or when procedures change.
Supervisors ensure that information and instructions are clearly communicated before each job, including any specific hazards at the location, access issues, or customer requirements that may affect safety.
Accident Reporting and Emergency Procedures
All accidents, incidents, and near misses must be reported to management as soon as practicable. This enables us to provide assistance, record details, investigate root causes, and take corrective action to prevent recurrence.
Emergency procedures, including what to do in case of fire, injury, or sudden illness, are explained to staff. Our teams are instructed to prioritise the safety of people over property at all times during an emergency.
Health, Welfare, and Wellbeing
We understand that removal work can be physically demanding and sometimes stressful. South Kensington Movers seeks to safeguard the wellbeing of employees by managing workloads and schedules sensibly, encouraging rest breaks in line with working time requirements, monitoring for signs of fatigue or strain, and promoting open communication so that staff feel able to raise concerns about health or working conditions.
Monitoring, Review, and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy is monitored through regular site and vehicle checks, review of accident and incident reports, feedback from staff and customers, and periodic internal reviews of our procedures and risk assessments.
South Kensington Movers is committed to continuous improvement. Where opportunities to enhance safety performance are identified, we will update our practices, training, and this policy accordingly. This policy is reviewed at least annually, and more frequently if there are significant changes in our operations or in applicable legislation.
By working together and following this policy, we aim to ensure that every removal carried out by South Kensington Movers is completed as safely and efficiently as possible.
