Storage Forestdale Health and Safety Policy
This Health and Safety Policy sets out how Storage Forestdale manages the safety and wellbeing of employees, customers, contractors, visitors and others who may be affected by our storage and removal activities. Our aim is to prevent injury, protect health and maintain safe, orderly and compliant premises and operations at all times.
Policy Statement and Objectives
Storage Forestdale is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment. We recognise our responsibilities under relevant health and safety legislation and are dedicated to continual improvement in our safety performance.
Our key objectives are to prevent accidents and work-related ill health, manage risks sensibly, provide safe equipment and systems of work, and ensure that staff are competent to carry out their duties safely. Health and safety considerations are integral to our storage services, office operations and removal activities, including packing, loading, transport and delivery.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management is responsible for leading by example and ensuring that adequate resources are made available to implement this policy. This includes establishing clear safety standards, approving safe systems of work, and periodically reviewing performance and procedures.
Managers and supervisors must ensure that risk assessments are carried out, that control measures are implemented and maintained, and that staff and contractors follow agreed procedures. They are also responsible for encouraging a positive safety culture in which hazards and near misses are reported promptly and dealt with effectively.
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. Staff must follow training, instructions and safe systems of work at all times, and use equipment, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly.
Employees are required to report hazards, defects, incidents and near misses without delay, cooperate with investigations and inspections, and refrain from interfering with or misusing anything provided for health and safety purposes. Failure to comply with this policy or related procedures may result in disciplinary action.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
We conduct and maintain suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering our storage sites, offices, loading areas, vehicle operations and removal services. These assessments consider activities such as manual handling, working at height, vehicle movements, use of lifting equipment, handling of customer goods, and interaction with customers and visitors.
Findings from risk assessments are used to implement safe systems of work, including methods for packing and lifting, securing loads, operating handling equipment, segregating vehicles and pedestrians, and maintaining clear access and emergency routes. Risk assessments and procedures are reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to our operations.
Training, Information and Supervision
Storage Forestdale provides appropriate health and safety training for all employees, including induction training for new starters and role-specific training for staff involved in removals, vehicle use, equipment operation and site supervision.
Training covers topics such as manual handling, safe driving and loading, emergency arrangements, hazard reporting, use of personal protective equipment and safe storage practices. Refresher training is provided as necessary. Supervisors monitor working practices to ensure that procedures are followed and that additional support or instruction is given where required.
Safe Use of Equipment and Vehicles
All work equipment and vehicles used in connection with our storage and removal services are selected, inspected and maintained to ensure safety. Only trained and authorised personnel may operate mechanical handling equipment, lifting devices or company vehicles.
We ensure that loads are planned and secured correctly, taking into account weight limits, stability and the condition of items being moved. Defective equipment or vehicles must be reported immediately and taken out of service until repairs are completed and safety confirmed.
Manual Handling and Physical Work
Manual handling is a key element of our service, especially during packing, loading, unloading and storage operations. We seek to minimise manual lifting where reasonably practicable by using trolleys, handling aids and mechanical equipment.
When manual handling is unavoidable, we assess the task, the load and the environment, and apply safe techniques. Staff are trained in correct lifting methods, team lifting procedures and the importance of assessing their own capabilities. No employee should attempt to lift or move any item that could cause injury or that exceeds safe limits.
Contractors, Customers and Visitors
We take reasonable steps to ensure that contractors working on our premises are competent, understand relevant site rules and cooperate with our health and safety arrangements. Contractors are expected to provide their own safe systems of work and risk assessments where appropriate.
Customers and visitors are informed of key safety information, including site speed limits, access controls, restricted areas and emergency procedures. Staff remain vigilant to unsafe behaviour and intervene or report concerns where necessary to prevent harm.
Emergency Preparedness and First Aid
Storage Forestdale maintains emergency procedures for fire, medical incidents, spills and other foreseeable events. These include arrangements for raising the alarm, safe evacuation, accounting for people on site and liaising with emergency services.
Appropriate first aid provisions are maintained, including trained first aiders and clearly identified first aid supplies. Emergency exits, escape routes and fire equipment are kept accessible, regularly inspected and clearly signed. Staff are briefed on emergency arrangements and participate in drills where required.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, incidents, near misses and health concerns related to our activities must be reported promptly. We record, investigate and, where necessary, escalate incidents to identify underlying causes and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Lessons learned from incidents are communicated to relevant staff and, where appropriate, reflected in updated procedures, training or equipment changes. We comply with applicable reporting requirements for serious incidents and cooperate fully with any external investigations.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
We monitor health and safety performance through inspections, audits, incident data, staff feedback and management reviews. This information is used to identify trends, strengths and areas for improvement in our storage and removal operations.
This Health and Safety Policy is reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes in legislation, business activities or operational risk. Updated versions are communicated to employees and made available to customers and contractors on request.
By working together and following this policy, Storage Forestdale aims to provide safe, reliable and professional storage and removal services that protect people, property and the wider community.
