Man and Van Mayfair Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy sets out how Man and Van Mayfair manages the safety and wellbeing of our employees, customers, subcontractors, visitors, and the general public. As a professional removals and man and van service, we are committed to conducting all activities in a way that prevents injury, ill health, damage to property, and unnecessary disruption to the local environment.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Man and Van Mayfair aims to maintain high standards of safety throughout every stage of our moving and transportation services. Our core objectives are to prevent accidents and work-related ill health, to identify and control risks associated with removals work, to provide safe vehicles, equipment, and systems of work, and to promote a culture where safety is everyone’s responsibility.

We will regularly review our performance, procedures, and training to ensure continuous improvement in our health and safety management.

Management Responsibilities

The management of Man and Van Mayfair holds overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation, allocating sufficient resources for safety measures, training, and equipment, setting and monitoring safety standards and performance, and investigating and learning from incidents, accidents, and near misses.

Managers and supervisors must lead by example, follow safe systems of work, and ensure that all staff understand and follow this policy.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees, drivers, and operatives of Man and Van Mayfair share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. Every member of staff is 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 instructions, risk assessments, and safe systems of work, use vehicles, tools, and equipment correctly and for their intended purpose, report hazards, defects, accidents, and near misses immediately to management, and cooperate fully with health and safety training, supervision, and any incident investigations.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

We will identify, assess, and manage risks associated with our removals operations, including manual handling of furniture and goods, loading and unloading vehicles, vehicle movements in residential and commercial areas, and work carried out in customers’ homes, offices, and shared spaces.

Suitable risk assessments will be completed and reviewed periodically and whenever there is a significant change in our work processes. Control measures may include planning routes and parking to minimise risk, using appropriate lifting techniques and handling aids, ensuring clear walkways and safe stacking of items, and implementing procedures for working on stairs, in narrow spaces, or at height.

Manual Handling and Lifting Safety

Manual handling is a key part of our service and is managed with particular care. Staff receive training on safe lifting and carrying techniques, team lifting for heavy or bulky items, and the use of trolleys and other handling aids. We aim to avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable by planning moves carefully, assessing the weight, shape, and route for each item before lifting, using additional manpower, tools, or dismantling where appropriate, and stopping work where there is an unacceptable risk to staff or others.

Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards

Our vehicles are critical to effective and safe removals. Man and Van Mayfair is committed to maintaining roadworthy vehicles, ensuring regular inspections and servicing, and keeping interiors and load areas tidy and secure. Drivers must be competent, appropriately licensed, and medically fit to drive. They are required to follow the Highway Code and drive responsibly, allow adequate time for journeys to avoid rushing, ensure loads are evenly distributed, secured, and within safe weight limits, and carry out basic daily vehicle checks, reporting defects promptly.

Customer Premises and Public Safety

Removals work often takes place in homes, apartments, offices, and shared buildings, where the safety of customers, their visitors, and the public is paramount. Our teams will take care to protect floors, walls, and fixtures where reasonably practicable, maintain clear access routes and avoid creating trip hazards, communicate with customers about any safety concerns during the move, and use caution when moving large items through shared corridors, walkways, and entrances.

Where necessary, we will use signage, barriers, or additional supervision to protect others from risks created by our work.

Training, Information, and Supervision

Man and Van Mayfair provides staff with information, instruction, and training relevant to their roles. This may include inductions on company safety procedures, manual handling training, safe use of equipment and handling aids, driving and vehicle safety awareness, and incident and emergency reporting procedures.

Managers and supervisors will monitor working practices, correct unsafe behaviour, and provide ongoing guidance and support to encourage safe working habits.

Equipment, Tools, and Personal Protective Equipment

We will provide appropriate equipment and tools to support safe removals, such as trolleys, straps, and protective coverings. All equipment must be used only for its intended purpose and kept in good condition. Defective or damaged equipment must be reported and taken out of use until repaired or replaced.

Personal protective equipment will be provided where risk assessments identify a need. Staff are required to use this equipment correctly and to look after it properly.

Accident, Incident, and Near Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents, and near misses related to Man and Van Mayfair activities must be reported to management as soon as practicable. We will record and, where required, investigate these events to understand causes and identify improvements. Lessons learned will be shared with staff and, where appropriate, procedures will be updated to prevent recurrence.

Consultation and Continuous Improvement

We encourage staff to raise any health and safety concerns and to suggest improvements. Constructive feedback supports safer and more efficient moves for everyone involved. This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance, or our working practices. Man and Van Mayfair is committed to continual improvement in our health and safety performance and to providing a reliable, professional removals service carried out with care and respect for people and property.