Health and Safety policy
Kensington Movers Health and Safety Policy
Kensington Movers is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, customers, contractors and members of the public who may be affected by our removals and related services. We recognise that moving and handling furniture, personal belongings and commercial goods carries specific risks, and we actively work to identify, manage and reduce those risks at every stage of our operations.
This Health and Safety Policy applies to all activities carried out by Kensington Movers, including household moves, office relocations, packing services, loading and unloading, transport, storage handling and on-site visits for surveys or delivery.
Our Health and Safety Objectives
Our primary objectives are to prevent injury, protect health and minimise damage to property and the environment. To achieve this, we aim to:
Promote a positive safety culture in which all team members understand their responsibilities. Provide safe systems of work for all removal and transport activities. Supply and maintain appropriate equipment, vehicles and protective items. Reduce manual handling risks through planning, training and use of mechanical aids. Ensure routes, properties and loading areas are assessed for hazards before work begins. Comply with applicable health and safety laws, regulations and industry best practice. Continuously review and improve our safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Kensington Movers has overall responsibility for health and safety within the company. They are responsible for ensuring that appropriate resources, training and supervision are provided so that this policy is implemented effectively.
Management duties include:
Setting clear safety standards and communicating them to staff. Ensuring risk assessments are carried out, recorded and reviewed. Providing safe equipment, vehicles and tools that are regularly inspected and maintained. Ensuring staff are adequately trained, competent and supervised for their tasks. Investigating accidents, incidents and near misses to prevent recurrence. Reviewing this policy periodically and updating it when necessary.
Employee Responsibilities
Every employee at Kensington Movers has an important role in maintaining a safe working environment. All team members are required to:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others. Follow safe working procedures, instructions and training provided. Use equipment and protective items properly and report any damage or defects. Avoid taking unnecessary risks when moving, lifting or operating equipment. Report hazards, near misses and incidents promptly to their supervisor. Co operate with management on all health and safety matters.
Failure to follow health and safety rules may lead to disciplinary action, as unsafe behaviour can endanger colleagues, customers and the public.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
Kensington Movers conducts risk assessments for our key activities, including but not limited to manual handling, use of trolleys and lifting equipment, loading and unloading vehicles, working on staircases or restricted access properties, operating in busy streets or shared access areas and handling fragile or high value items.
We use the findings of these risk assessments to develop safe working practices and method statements. These may include planning routes, using extra staff for heavy or awkward items, employing lifting aids where possible, protecting floors and surfaces, and scheduling work to reduce time pressure and congestion.
Manual Handling and Lifting
Manual handling is a core part of removal work and a significant source of potential injury. To manage this, Kensington Movers:
Provides manual handling training to relevant staff, focusing on good posture, team lifting and use of aids. Encourages staff to assess the weight, shape and route before lifting or moving items. Promotes team lifting for large or awkward loads, avoiding lone handling of heavy objects. Uses trolleys, dollies, straps and other aids to reduce strain wherever feasible. Instructs staff to stop and seek assistance if an item is too heavy or access is unsafe.
Vehicles, Equipment and Premises Safety
Our vehicles, equipment and any premises we use for operations are maintained in a safe condition. This includes:
Regular inspection and servicing of vehicles used for removals and transport. Ensuring loading areas are organised, well lit and kept as clear as practicable. Checking ramps, tail lifts, trolleys and other equipment before use. Using appropriate securing methods to prevent load movement in transit. Taking care to avoid damage to customer property, fixtures and fittings.
Customer and Public Safety
Kensington Movers is committed to protecting the safety of customers, visitors and the general public during our work. We will:
Plan access routes to minimise obstruction and trip hazards. Use warning where necessary to draw attention to moving items or vehicles. Keep doors, stairways and pavements as clear as possible while working. Take particular care in shared or communal areas and near public walkways. Communicate clearly with customers about any temporary restrictions needed for safety.
Training, Information and Supervision
We provide appropriate information, instruction and training to our employees so they can carry out their duties safely. Training may cover topics such as manual handling, safe use of equipment, vehicle safety, hazard awareness and reporting procedures.
New starters receive induction training covering key health and safety expectations. Ongoing refresher training is provided as required, and additional guidance is given whenever new equipment, procedures or risks are introduced.
Incident Reporting and Continuous Improvement
All accidents, injuries, near misses and hazardous situations must be reported as soon as possible to a supervisor or manager. Kensington Movers investigates these events to identify causes and implement corrective actions. This may include updating risk assessments, revising procedures or providing additional training.
We are committed to continuous improvement in health and safety. Employee feedback and suggestions are welcomed and considered as part of our review process.
Policy Review
This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes in our operations, legal requirements or industry standards. Updated versions are communicated to all employees so that everyone remains aware of their responsibilities and the measures in place to protect health and safety at Kensington Movers.
