Health and Safety Policy for Storage East Dulwich
Storage East Dulwich is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for employees, contractors, customers and visitors. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks across our storage facilities and associated removal and handling activities. Our objective is to prevent injury, protect health and promote safe behaviour in every aspect of our operations.
Policy Statement and Objectives
We recognise our duty to comply with applicable health and safety legislation and to adopt best practice in the storage and removals sector. We will identify hazards, assess risks and implement proportionate control measures to reduce the likelihood of accidents, incidents and work-related ill health.
Our key health and safety objectives are to:
Promote a positive safety culture where risks are reported and managed promptly. Prevent accidents and cases of work-related ill health. Provide and maintain safe premises, storage units, vehicles and equipment. Ensure safe systems of work for lifting, carrying, loading, unloading and storing goods. Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision. Consult and cooperate with employees on health and safety matters. Review our performance regularly and seek continual improvement.
Responsibilities and Management
Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with senior management, who will ensure that adequate resources, time and attention are devoted to safety management. Managers and supervisors are responsible for implementing this policy within their areas of control and for leading by example in safe practices.
All employees are required to:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Follow all safety procedures, instructions and training. Use equipment, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly. Report hazards, near misses, accidents and defective equipment without delay. Cooperate with any investigation or corrective action relating to health and safety.
Contractors and visiting drivers working on our premises must comply with this policy and with any local rules and instructions given by our staff. Customers and visitors are expected to follow site signage, stay within designated areas and comply with any safety guidance provided.
Risk Assessment and Hazard Control
We will carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for key activities, including storage operations, manual handling, vehicle movements, use of lifting equipment, working at height, use of trolleys and access to units. Assessments will be documented, communicated to relevant staff and reviewed periodically or following significant changes or incidents.
Control measures may include:
Engineering controls such as barriers, guards, secure racking, lighting and designated walkways. Administrative controls such as safe systems of work, permits where necessary, signage and supervision. Provision of well-maintained handling aids and lifting equipment. Restrictions on access to certain areas or equipment to trained personnel only. Use of personal protective equipment where residual risks remain.
Safe Working Practices for Storage and Removals
Storage East Dulwich will implement and maintain safe working practices tailored to storage and removal activities. These include but are not limited to:
Ensuring that loads are assessed for weight, size and stability before lifting or moving. Promoting mechanical handling aids such as sack trucks, dollies and pallet equipment wherever practicable. Applying correct manual handling techniques to minimise strain and injury. Securing loads in vehicles and units to prevent movement and collapse. Avoiding overloading of shelves, racking or storage units and observing stated weight limits. Controlling stacking heights and ensuring items are stored safely to prevent falls.
Particular care will be taken when handling bulky furniture, appliances and fragile items. Routes will be planned to avoid unnecessary carrying distances, steps and obstacles wherever reasonably practicable. Employees will be instructed on coordinated team lifting where single-person handling is not suitable.
Premises, Vehicles and Equipment Safety
We will provide and maintain our premises, vehicles and equipment in a condition that is safe and without undue risk. This includes:
Regular inspection and maintenance of buildings, access points, doors, ramps and loading bays. Adequate lighting in internal and external areas, including corridors and storage zones. Clearly marked pedestrian walkways and vehicle routes where applicable. Routine inspection of trolleys, handling aids, ladders and other equipment. Ensuring vehicles used for removals and transport are maintained, inspected and operated safely by competent drivers.
Defects or hazards identified by staff or customers will be recorded and addressed as quickly as practicable, with temporary controls implemented where immediate repair is not possible.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
We will maintain clear emergency arrangements covering fire, evacuation and other foreseeable incidents. This includes:
Provision and maintenance of appropriate fire detection and firefighting equipment. Clear emergency exits and escape routes that are kept unobstructed at all times. Display of emergency instructions and site-specific evacuation guidance. Periodic testing of alarms and emergency lighting. Staff training on raising the alarm, using equipment where appropriate and assisting with evacuation.
All persons on site must follow staff instructions in an emergency and proceed to designated assembly areas calmly and without delay.
Training, Information and Supervision
We will provide employees with the information, instruction and training needed to work safely. This may include induction training, manual handling training, use of equipment, vehicle safety, fire safety and site rules. Refresher training will be provided as necessary, particularly following incidents, changes in work methods or introduction of new equipment.
Supervisors will monitor working practices to ensure that procedures are followed and that unsafe acts are challenged and corrected. Additional support and coaching will be given to new or inexperienced staff.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences and health and safety concerns must be reported promptly to management. We will record and investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions. Where required, incidents will be reported to the appropriate enforcing authorities in line with legal requirements.
Lessons learned from investigations will be shared with employees and, where relevant, will lead to updates to risk assessments, procedures or equipment.
Consultation and Continuous Improvement
Storage East Dulwich encourages open communication regarding health and safety. Employees are invited to raise suggestions, concerns or improvement ideas with management. Where appropriate, consultation will take place before significant changes to work processes, equipment or site layout.
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed at least annually or sooner if there are significant changes in operations, legislation or following serious incidents. We are committed to continually improving our health and safety performance in line with industry standards and the expectations placed on responsible storage and removal providers.
