Covent Garden House Clearance - Health & Safety Policy

Covent Garden House Clearance maintains a comprehensive Health and Safety Policy that applies across our rubbish removal service and general house clearance operations. This policy sets out our commitment to provide a safe working environment for staff, contractors and members of the public within our rubbish company service area. The policy operates alongside statutory duties for waste management and safe disposal and is designed to be practical, proportionate and consistently applied.

Policy Scope and Objectives

Our objectives are to: prevent injury and ill health, minimise environmental impact from waste handling, ensure lawful waste transfer and maintain competent teams for all house clearance and rubbish collection duties. This policy covers normal operations, site-specific activities, vehicle movements, manual handling and the management of hazardous or bulky waste encountered during house clearance or rubbish collection in the service area.

Responsibilities are clearly allocated. Senior management will provide leadership and resources; supervisors must apply controls and undertake risk assessments; operatives are required to follow instructions and report hazards. Every worker has a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others, and to cooperate with safety measures.

Risk Management and Assessment

We carry out formal risk assessments for recurring activities and rapid assessments for unexpected site conditions. Risk controls follow the hierarchy: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE). Examples include safe segregation of recyclables and non-recyclables, safe stacking and containment of waste, and use of mechanical aids to reduce manual handling.

Specific hazards addressed include sharp objects, asbestos-containing materials where suspected, spillages, biological waste, electrical items and hazardous fluids. Where suspect hazardous waste is discovered during a house clearance, operations stop and the material is isolated until it can be assessed by trained personnel or specialist contractors for lawful removal and disposal.

Key safety measures include:

• Pre-task briefings and dynamic risk assessment before each job
• Mandatory use of PPE (gloves, high-visibility clothing, safety boots and eye protection as required)
• Safe lifting techniques and mechanical aids to reduce musculoskeletal injury
• Clear traffic management for vehicle loading and unloading to protect operatives and the public

Training and Competence

All staff receive induction training covering safe work procedures, manual handling, hazardous waste recognition and emergency response. Training is refreshed periodically and whenever new equipment or methods are introduced. Competence is recorded and monitored to ensure that rubbish removal operatives, drivers and supervisors maintain the skills required for safe house clearance and waste removal across the service area.

Vehicle and Equipment Safety

Vehicles and plant used for rubbish removal and house clearance are inspected before use and subject to scheduled maintenance. Drivers and operators are trained and authorised to operate assigned vehicles. Loading limits are observed and loads are secured to prevent spillage in transit. Any defects are reported immediately and items taken out of service until repaired.

Waste segregation, record keeping and legal compliance are integral to our approach. We maintain waste transfer documentation where required, ensuring that waste is consigned to authorised facilities. This approach reduces environmental impact and meets regulatory obligations for waste carriers and house clearance providers.

Accident reporting and investigation procedures are in place. All incidents, near misses and hazardous occurrences are reported without delay. Investigations identify root causes and corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Lessons learned are communicated across the organisation to strengthen safety performance.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

We undertake regular audits and inspections to monitor compliance with this policy and to verify the effectiveness of control measures. Performance indicators include incident rates, training completion, equipment inspection records and audit findings. The policy is reviewed at least annually or more frequently when changes to operations, legislation or significant incidents occur.

Covent Garden House Clearance expects all employees and contractors to actively support the policy. Non-compliance is addressed through supervision, retraining and, where necessary, disciplinary measures. Everyone is encouraged to suggest improvements and to report unsafe conditions so that the business can continuously improve safety outcomes.

In summary, our house clearance and waste removal systems combine practical risk control, legal compliance and staff engagement to deliver safe rubbish collection and disposal across our service area. This policy reflects our commitment to protect people, the environment and property while delivering efficient rubbish company services aligned with best practice.

Policy Effectiveness and Contact Responsibility

Senior management retains overall responsibility for the Health and Safety Policy, supported by appointed safety coordinators. The policy is available to staff and relevant stakeholders and will be implemented consistently across all operations associated with Covent Garden House Clearance.