Health and Safety Policy for House Clearance Mitcham

This Health and Safety Policy sets out the commitments of our house clearance and rubbish removal operation covering duties, procedures and standards to protect employees, contractors, clients and the public. It applies to all aspects of our domestic and commercial clearance service area, including house clearance, waste collection, and clearance of estates. Safety underpins every job and every decision.

Our objective is to maintain a safe working environment through risk assessment, training, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) provision and vigilance. We recognise that consistent practice across all rubbish removal and clearance services reduces incidents and ensures compliance with regulatory expectations. This policy outlines responsibilities, safe systems of work, and monitoring arrangements.

We will ensure that risk assessments are conducted for all house clearance tasks and rubbish clearance activities before work commences. Assessments will identify hazards including manual handling, sharps and broken glass, hazardous household wastes, electrical risks, and vehicle loading risks. The results inform control measures that are communicated to the crew prior to arrival on site.

Senior management is accountable for the implementation of this policy and will provide necessary resources to achieve safe operations. Supervisors and team leaders will ensure control measures identified in risk assessments are followed. Every worker engaged in clearance services has a duty to act safely and report hazards or incidents immediately.

We require all personnel to attend induction and ongoing training relevant to their role. Training covers manual handling techniques, safe use of tools, vehicle loading and securing of loads, waste segregation and disposal, and the identification of hazardous materials including asbestos, batteries, chemicals and sharps.

Contractors and sub-contractors engaged for specialised clearance tasks must demonstrate they have effective safety management systems and are competent to perform the work. They will receive a site briefing and are required to follow our safe operating procedures and reporting protocols.

This policy emphasises hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE. Where possible, risks are eliminated before work starts through planning and by using appropriate equipment. Where hazards remain, we apply controls to reduce risk to an acceptable level.

Examples of control measures include:

• Pre-job risk assessments and method statements for clearance and rubbish removal jobs.
• Use of trolleys, hoists and lifting aids to reduce manual handling injuries.
• Provision and consistent use of PPE such as gloves, boots, eye protection and high-visibility clothing.
• Clear segregation of recyclable materials, hazardous wastes and general refuse in line with waste transfer requirements.

Employees must ensure that loads are secured and vehicles are not overloaded. Vehicles used for clearance services will be maintained and inspected regularly to ensure safe operation when transporting waste between sites.

Handling of hazardous items is strictly controlled. If suspected asbestos, chemicals, medical waste or other dangerous substances are discovered during a house clearance, work will stop and the item(s) will be isolated. Only trained, authorised personnel will manage and arrange appropriate disposal through licensed routes.

Manual handling guidance includes job-specific lifting plans and team lifting when necessary. Personnel must use correct lifting techniques, take reasonable rest breaks during heavy schedules, and report musculoskeletal discomfort at the earliest opportunity so that adjustments can be made.

Our employees are instructed to maintain clear walkways within properties and on vehicles to reduce slip, trip and fall risks. Adequate lighting and signage will be used where necessary, and temporary barriers or floor coverings will be deployed to protect both staff and client property when requested.

Incident reporting and investigation is integral to continuous improvement. All incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions must be reported and recorded. Investigations identify root causes and lead to corrective actions, changes to procedures and additional training where needed. Records are maintained to demonstrate compliance and to inform future risk assessments.

Regular audits, toolbox talks and supervisory checks will monitor adherence to this policy. We will review our health and safety arrangements at least annually or sooner after significant change, incident, or amendment to applicable regulations to ensure continued suitability and effectiveness across our clearance services.

Engagement with staff and consultation ensures that those doing the work are involved in developing safe systems. We encourage reporting concerns and suggestions, and will consider reasonable adjustments for employees with specific medical needs to enable safe participation in clearance tasks.

This policy is communicated to all employees, contractors and stakeholders involved in our domestic and commercial clearance provision. It is available in accessible formats and supported by operational procedures, training materials and site-specific briefings. Compliance with this policy is a condition of employment and engagement.

We are committed to continual improvement in health and safety performance for all house and rubbish clearance services. Through effective management, training, monitoring and communication we aim to prevent injury and ill health while maintaining high standards of professional, reliable clearance operations across our service area.

Signed: Management Team. Policy review date and version information are recorded in company records and updated as required.