Keep Moving Health and Safety Policy
Keep Moving is committed to maintaining the highest attainable standards of health and safety in all of our activities, with particular focus on the risks associated with removals, lifting, loading, transport and delivery of goods. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to safeguarding our employees, customers, contractors, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our work.
Policy Aims and Objectives
The primary aim of this policy is to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property arising from our operations. We strive to provide and maintain safe working conditions, safe systems of work, safe handling and use of equipment, and to foster a culture in which health and safety are integral to every removal project.
Our objectives include identifying and managing risks, ensuring staff competency and supervision, continuously improving our practices, and complying with applicable health and safety laws and industry standards relevant to our services.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Keep Moving takes overall responsibility for the implementation, monitoring and review of this Health and Safety Policy. Management will allocate appropriate resources to support safe working practices, including investment in training, equipment and supervision.
Managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that staff understand and follow safe procedures, that risk assessments are completed where required, and that any incidents, near misses or hazards are reported and addressed promptly.
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 or omissions. Staff are expected to cooperate fully with Keep Moving in implementing this policy and associated procedures.
Employees must use the equipment and personal protective equipment provided, follow instructions and training, report hazards, defects and incidents, and refrain from any unsafe behaviour, including the misuse of equipment or vehicles.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Keep Moving will carry out suitable and proportionate risk assessments for key tasks involved in our removal services, including lifting and carrying, loading and unloading vehicles, operating handling equipment, securing loads for transport, and working in and around customer premises.
Findings from risk assessments will be used to establish safe systems of work. These will be communicated to all relevant staff and reviewed regularly, particularly when new equipment, processes or environments are introduced, or when incidents highlight the need for change.
Manual Handling and Lifting Operations
Manual handling is central to removal activities and is treated as a priority area of risk control. Keep Moving will minimise manual lifting where reasonably practicable by planning moves, using mechanical aids and allocating adequate manpower for heavy or awkward items.
All staff engaged in manual handling will receive training on safe lifting techniques, team lifting, load assessment and avoidance of hazardous movements. No employee will be required to lift or carry loads that exceed safe personal limits or that could reasonably cause harm.
Vehicles, Driving and Transport Safety
Our vehicles and associated equipment will be maintained in a roadworthy and safe condition in line with manufacturer recommendations and relevant regulations. Pre-use checks will be carried out, and any defects will be reported and addressed before vehicles are used.
Only authorised and competent drivers are permitted to operate company vehicles. Drivers must observe all traffic laws, drive responsibly, plan routes to allow adequate time for safe travel, and avoid using mobile devices while driving except through legally compliant hands-free systems.
Use of Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment
Keep Moving will provide suitable equipment such as trolleys, dollies, protective coverings and securing devices to support safe handling and transport of items. Equipment will be selected, inspected and maintained to reduce the risk of injury and damage.
Where risks cannot be fully controlled by other means, appropriate personal protective equipment will be provided, such as safety footwear, gloves and high-visibility garments. Employees must use such equipment as instructed and report any loss, damage or defects immediately.
Customer Premises and Public Safety
Our teams will conduct themselves with due care when working in customer premises or public areas. This includes maintaining clear walkways, managing trip hazards such as loose packaging or trailing straps, and ensuring that doors, lifts and access routes are used safely and respectfully.
Where work activities could affect members of the public, steps will be taken to segregate work areas where feasible, provide clear communication, and minimise noise, obstruction and any other foreseeable risk.
Training, Information and Supervision
Keep Moving will provide appropriate induction and ongoing training to all employees relevant to their roles. Training will cover topics such as manual handling, vehicle and equipment use, hazard awareness, incident reporting and emergency procedures.
Supervision levels will be appropriate to the experience and competence of the staff and the complexity of the task. Staff will receive clear instructions before and during each project, and questions or concerns about safety are encouraged and addressed promptly.
Health, Welfare and Fitness for Work
We recognise the physical nature of removal work and the importance of staff wellbeing. Employees are expected to present for work in a fit state, free from the influence of alcohol, illegal substances or misused medications that could impair their judgement or performance.
Where health conditions may affect the ability to carry out tasks safely, employees are encouraged to raise these with management so that reasonable adjustments or alternative duties can be considered. Regular breaks, access to drinking water and appropriate rest periods will be supported.
Accident, Incident and Near-Miss Reporting
All accidents, incidents and near misses, however minor, must be reported as soon as practicable to a supervisor or manager. Keep Moving will investigate such events to determine root causes and implement corrective and preventive measures.
Records of accidents and incidents will be maintained and reviewed periodically to identify trends, evaluate the effectiveness of control measures and drive continuous improvement in health and safety performance.
Emergency Preparedness
Procedures will be in place to respond to foreseeable emergencies that may occur during our work, such as fire, injury, vehicle breakdowns or spillage of materials. Staff will receive guidance on how to act in emergencies, including communication protocols and escalation routes.
Where we are working on customer premises, our teams will cooperate with site-specific emergency arrangements and follow the instructions of authorised personnel, provided these do not compromise personal safety.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
Keep Moving will monitor health and safety performance through inspections, audits, feedback from staff and customers, and analysis of incident data. Findings from monitoring will be used to update risk assessments, procedures and training as necessary.
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed at regular intervals and whenever significant changes occur in our operations, equipment or legal obligations. Revisions will be communicated to all employees to ensure ongoing understanding and compliance.
Communication and Policy Availability
This policy is communicated to all employees during induction and is accessible for reference at any time. It may be made available to customers, contractors and other interested parties upon request so that they can understand the principles that guide our approach to safe removal operations.
By implementing this Health and Safety Policy, Keep Moving aims to create and maintain a working environment in which risks are effectively controlled, incidents are minimised, and everyone involved in or affected by our services can have confidence in the safety of our operations.
