Nottinghill House Clearance Health & Safety Policy

Nottinghill House Clearance is committed to delivering safe, efficient rubbish removal and house clearance services across our service area. This policy outlines our approach to protecting staff, contractors, clients and the public during all waste clearance and rubbish collection operations. The policy applies to every aspect of our rubbish company activities, including site assessment, vehicle use, manual handling and disposal practices.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this Health and Safety Policy is to set out clear responsibilities, safe systems of work and monitoring procedures for our waste clearance teams. Our scope covers house clearance, commercial rubbish collection, hazardous and non-hazardous waste handling, and the safe operation of equipment used in clearance tasks. The policy supports legal compliance and continuous improvement in safety performance.

All employees, sub-contractors and temporary workers engaged by our rubbish company service undertake to adhere to the following core principles:

• Pre-task risk assessment and site briefing for every clearance job.
• Use of suitable PPE and safe manual handling techniques.
• Correct segregation and labeling of waste streams prior to transfer.
• Maintenance of vehicles, tools and lifting equipment to a safe standard.

Responsibilities

The Director retains overall responsibility for health and safety policy, resourcing and regular review. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that safe systems of work are implemented in the field. Employees must follow procedures, report hazards and use controls provided. Sub-contractors are required to demonstrate equivalent safety standards before engagement.

We emphasise practical training and competence. All operatives receive induction covering manual handling, sharps awareness, waste clearance segregation protocols and vehicle safety. Refresher training is scheduled periodically and when new risks or equipment are introduced. Training records are maintained and audited to ensure competence.

Risk Management & Safe Systems

Risk assessments are completed for every job, identifying options to eliminate or reduce hazards associated with rubbish removal tasks. Control measures include mechanical aids, two-person lifts, exclusion zones around drop areas and the use of lockable storage for hazardous items. Emergency procedures are in place for fire, spillage, injury and environmental incidents.

Personal protective equipment is provided in accordance with task risk assessments. This may include gloves, high-visibility clothing, steel-toe boots, eye protection and respiratory protection where dust or fumes are present. Staff are instructed to inspect PPE before use and report defects immediately.

Equipment and vehicles form a core part of our safety program. Routine pre-use checks, scheduled maintenance and records ensure that lifting equipment, trolleys and removal vans remain safe for operation. Drivers comply with load securing procedures and vehicle safety checks before leaving site.

Manual handling is managed through training and supervision. Where practicable, mechanical lifting aids or team lifts are used to reduce strain. We use safe lifting techniques and plan lifts to avoid awkward positions. Employees are reminded that reporting near misses contributes to prevention of future injuries.

Hazardous materials encountered during house or rubbish clearance are handled according to documented safe procedures. This includes chemical containers, asbestos suspicion protocols, batteries and sharps. Such items are segregated for specialist disposal and recorded on transfer documentation.

Environmental protection is integral to our waste management services. We promote recycling and diversion from landfill where possible, and undertake to prevent pollution through secure containment, proper vehicle containment and prompt cleanup of any accidental releases. Disposal conforms to licensed waste transfer requirements.

Incident reporting and investigation procedures ensure all accidents, injuries, near misses and environmental incidents are recorded, investigated and acted upon to prevent recurrence. The process employs corrective actions, communication of lessons learned and updates to risk assessments when relevant.

Monitoring and review are conducted through regular site audits, toolbox talks and performance metrics. Health and safety performance indicators include incident rates, training completion, equipment inspection compliance and customer site safety feedback from operative reports. Management reviews policy effectiveness and resources as required.

This policy is supported by operational procedures, safe work method statements and workplace rules that set out clear expectations for behaviour and task execution. Compliance with statutory duties is achieved by aligning our procedures with current regulatory guidance and recognized best practice for the rubbish clearance and waste collection sector.

Policy Implementation and Continuous Improvement: The company commits to providing the necessary resources for implementation of this policy, including competent personnel, training, equipment and supervision. We encourage a positive safety culture where workers are empowered to stop unsafe work, raise concerns and suggest improvements. The policy is reviewed annually or sooner if circumstances change, ensuring our rubbish removal service evolves with operational demands and legislative expectations.