Health and Safety Policy for Storage Chelsfield
Storage Chelsfield is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for employees, contractors, visitors and customers. This policy sets out our approach to health and safety in our storage facilities and during removal and associated handling activities.
We recognise that well planned and properly implemented health and safety measures protect people, equipment and property and contribute to the quality and reliability of our storage and removal services.
Policy Aims and Objectives
The primary aim of this Health and Safety Policy is to prevent injury, ill health and incidents arising from our operations. We seek to identify hazards, assess risks and apply effective control measures for all activities carried out by Storage Chelsfield, including storage, handling, packing, loading, transportation and removal-related tasks.
Our objectives are to:
Promote a positive health and safety culture across the business.
Comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards.
Provide and maintain safe premises, equipment and systems of work.
Ensure staff are competent to perform their duties safely through information, instruction, training and supervision.
Engage in ongoing risk assessment and continuous improvement of health and safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management holds overall responsibility for implementing this policy and ensuring that health and safety is integrated into business planning and decision making. Management will:
Provide adequate resources for health and safety, including time, equipment and training.
Ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are completed, recorded, communicated and reviewed.
Establish safe working procedures for storage and removal operations, including manual handling, use of lifting equipment and vehicle movements.
Monitor performance by conducting inspections, audits and incident reviews.
Consult with employees on health and safety matters and consider their feedback when revising procedures.
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 acts or omissions. Employees must:
Follow all safety procedures, instructions and training provided.
Use equipment, tools and vehicles in a safe manner and only for their intended purpose.
Wear and correctly use any personal protective equipment provided.
Report hazards, near misses, unsafe conditions and incidents promptly to management.
Cooperate fully with any accident investigation, training or health and safety initiative.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Storage Chelsfield carries out risk assessments for key tasks associated with storage and removal services. These may include manual handling of furniture and boxes, packing and unpacking activities, operation of lifting and handling equipment, loading and unloading vehicles, driving and parking in and around our premises, and working at height where applicable.
Control measures and safe systems of work are developed based on these assessments and communicated to relevant staff. Where risks remain, they are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable through planning, training, supervision and use of appropriate equipment.
Manual Handling and Lifting Operations
Manual handling is a core part of removal and storage operations. We minimise manual handling risks by:
Planning lifts in advance and using handling aids such as trolleys and dollies whenever appropriate.
Providing training in safe lifting and carrying techniques.
Encouraging team lifting for heavy or awkward items.
Organising loads to avoid overreaching, twisting and excessive carrying distances.
Ensuring that items are stored in a way that allows safe access and retrieval.
Mechanical lifting equipment is inspected and maintained in line with manufacturer instructions and relevant regulations. Only authorised and trained personnel may operate such equipment.
Workplace Safety and Housekeeping
Our storage areas, offices and yards are maintained to reduce risks from slips, trips, falls and collisions. This is achieved by:
Keeping walkways, stairways and fire exits clear of obstacles at all times.
Maintaining good housekeeping practices, including regular removal of waste and packaging materials.
Providing suitable lighting in work and access areas.
Applying clear signage for traffic routes, restricted areas and emergency exits.
Ensuring racking, shelving and storage configurations are stable and used within their rated capacity.
Vehicles, Driving and Site Traffic
Our vehicles and removal operations are managed to protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other road users. We:
Ensure vehicles are regularly inspected, maintained and kept in a roadworthy condition.
Provide guidance to drivers on safe loading, securing of loads and route planning.
Manage vehicle movements in and out of our sites with attention to speed limits, reversing procedures and use of designated loading areas.
Require drivers to comply with traffic laws and to report defects, incidents or near misses involving vehicles.
Emergency Preparedness and Incident Reporting
We maintain procedures for responding to emergencies such as fire, serious injury, hazardous spill or structural damage. These include:
Clear instructions for raising the alarm and contacting emergency services.
Designated assembly points and evacuation routes.
Appropriate fire detection and firefighting equipment, with regular checks.
First aid arrangements and access to trained first aiders where required.
All accidents, incidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. Investigations are carried out to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Training, Information and Supervision
Storage Chelsfield provides employees with the information, instruction and training necessary for them to work safely. This includes induction training for new starters, role-specific training for storage and removal tasks, refreshers when procedures change, and additional guidance when new equipment or processes are introduced.
Supervisors monitor work practices to ensure that training is applied in practice and that any unsafe behaviour is corrected promptly and constructively.
Health and Wellbeing
We recognise that physical and mental wellbeing are important for safe and effective working. Where reasonably practicable, tasks are designed to reduce excessive physical strain and fatigue. We encourage staff to raise any concerns about workload, work environment or fitness for particular tasks, especially where manual handling or driving is involved.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary, for example following legislative changes, significant incidents, operational changes or new risk assessments. Feedback from employees, customers and other stakeholders is considered as part of this process.
By working together and following the principles set out in this policy, Storage Chelsfield aims to deliver safe, reliable and professional storage and removal services while protecting everyone who may be affected by our activities.
