Mortlake Removals Health and Safety Policy

Mortlake 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 removals activities. This Health and Safety Policy defines our approach to managing risk during home and office moves, storage handling, loading, unloading and transport of goods.

We aim to deliver professional removal services while preventing injury, ill health, property damage and unnecessary disruption. Health and safety considerations are integral to our planning, decision-making and day-to-day operations.

Policy Aims and Objectives

Our primary health and safety aims are to prevent workplace accidents and work-related ill health, comply with applicable health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards, continually improve our safety performance and protect customers, visitors and the public during any removal or delivery work we carry out.

To achieve these aims we will identify and control hazards associated with lifting and carrying, working in confined or shared spaces, operating vehicles and equipment and handling goods in a variety of residential and commercial environments.

Management Responsibilities

The management of Mortlake Removals is responsible for implementing this policy and ensuring it is communicated, understood and applied across the company. Managers will provide suitable resources for health and safety, including training, equipment and supervision, ensure risk assessments are carried out for key activities and typical work environments, review incidents, near misses and customer feedback to improve safety and regularly review this policy and associated procedures.

Management will lead by example, promoting a positive safety culture where hazards are reported promptly and action is taken without delay.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee of Mortlake Removals has a duty of care to themselves, their colleagues, customers and the public. All staff are required to follow company safety procedures and instructions, use equipment, vehicles and protective gear correctly, report hazards, defects, near misses and incidents immediately, take reasonable care of their own health and safety and cooperate with management on all health and safety matters.

Employees must never place themselves or others at unnecessary risk to speed up a job or for any other reason. Any unsafe practice must be challenged and reported so that corrective action can be taken.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Before carrying out removal work, Mortlake Removals will, where reasonably practicable, assess risks related to access to properties, stairways, lifts and tight spaces, manual handling of heavy, bulky or fragile items, loading and unloading of vehicles, parking and traffic management near the property and working in shared spaces such as corridors and communal entrances.

Based on these assessments we will establish safe systems of work, including using appropriate team sizes for heavy items, planning safe lifting routes in and out of properties, securing parking and loading zones when possible and using handling aids and protective equipment where needed.

Manual Handling and Use of Equipment

Manual handling is a core part of our removals service and presents a significant potential for injury if not properly managed. Mortlake Removals will provide training on safe lifting techniques and posture, assess each item to determine whether it can be lifted safely, use lifting aids such as trolleys, dollies and straps where appropriate and avoid single-person lifts of heavy or awkward items whenever possible.

Equipment such as moving trolleys, ramps, blankets and securing straps will be maintained in good condition, inspected regularly and replaced when damaged or defective. Only trained staff may operate specialised equipment.

Vehicle Safety and Road Risk

Our vehicles are essential to our removals operations and are maintained and operated with safety as a priority. Mortlake Removals will ensure vehicles are regularly serviced and inspected, that loads are distributed evenly and securely fastened, that drivers hold appropriate licences and receive relevant training and that journey planning considers safe routes, realistic timings and rest breaks.

Drivers must comply with road traffic laws at all times, avoid using mobile devices while driving and report any vehicle defects, accidents or near misses immediately.

Customer, Public and Property Protection

We recognise our responsibility to protect customers, visitors and members of the public while we are working at or near their premises. Our teams will keep access routes as clear as possible, use warning signs or verbal warnings where trip hazards or temporary obstructions exist, handle customer property with care to minimise damage and respect household and building rules relating to noise, access and shared areas.

Where work is carried out in busy or restricted locations, reasonable steps will be taken to minimise disruption and to separate work areas from public access routes as far as is practical.

Training, Supervision and Communication

Mortlake Removals provides appropriate health and safety training to all employees, including induction training for new staff, refreshers on manual handling and safe driving, and specific guidance on working in different types of premises. Supervisors will monitor working practices on site, correct unsafe behaviour and support less experienced staff.

Health and safety information, including this policy and associated procedures, will be communicated clearly to employees. Changes to legal requirements or company practices will be explained promptly.

Incident Reporting and Investigation

All accidents, injuries, near misses and instances of property damage must be reported as soon as possible to a supervisor or manager. Mortlake Removals will record and, where necessary, investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions. Lessons learned from incidents will be shared with relevant staff to prevent recurrence.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

Mortlake Removals will monitor health and safety performance through incident records, staff feedback, vehicle and equipment checks and site observations. This Health and Safety Policy and related procedures will be reviewed regularly and updated when there are significant changes to our operations, legal requirements or industry best practice.

By working together, management and staff will ensure that Mortlake Removals continues to provide a safe, reliable and professional removals service for all our customers.