Storage Ham Health and Safety Policy
Storage Ham is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all employees, customers, contractors and visitors. This Health and Safety Policy sets out the principles and arrangements we follow to manage risks associated with our storage facilities and our removal and transport activities.
We recognise our duty to protect people from harm so far as is reasonably practicable and to maintain safe systems of work across our operations, including warehouses, offices, vehicles and customer premises where we carry out removals and related services.
Policy Aims
The aims of this Health and Safety Policy are to prevent injury and ill health, protect property, and promote a culture of safety awareness and responsibility. We seek to:
Identify, assess and control hazards associated with storage, handling, lifting, driving and working on third party sites. Provide and maintain safe equipment, plant and vehicles. Ensure safe access and egress to and from our premises and vehicles. Provide appropriate instruction, information, supervision and training. Consult with employees on matters affecting their health and safety. Review performance and continually improve our safety management arrangements.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Storage Ham has overall responsibility for implementing this policy and ensuring that adequate resources are provided. This includes maintaining suitable risk assessments, safe working procedures and emergency arrangements for all locations and activities.
Managers and supervisors are responsible for day to day health and safety management in their areas. They must ensure that staff understand and follow safety procedures, that equipment is checked and maintained, that incidents are reported and investigated, and that corrective actions are implemented promptly.
Employee Responsibilities
Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. All staff must:
Follow instructions, training and safe systems of work. Use equipment, vehicles and protective equipment correctly. Report hazards, defects, near misses and incidents without delay. Cooperate with managers on health and safety matters. Avoid horseplay, misuse of equipment or any behaviour that could create risk.
Employees are encouraged to raise any concerns about safety so that they can be addressed quickly and effectively.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
Storage Ham carries out regular risk assessments for key tasks such as lifting and carrying, loading and unloading vehicles, operating handling equipment, working at height, and entering customer premises during removals.
From these assessments we develop and maintain safe working practices, including clear instructions on manual handling, securing loads, vehicle movements in yards and on the road, stacking goods in storage units, and maintaining clear walkways and fire escape routes.
Risk assessments are reviewed when there are changes in equipment, processes, locations or legal requirements, and also following any significant incident.
Training, Information and Supervision
We provide appropriate health and safety training to all employees, including induction training for new starters and role specific training for tasks such as driving, operating handling equipment and managing removals at customer sites.
Staff receive information on hazards, control measures and emergency arrangements relevant to their work. Supervisors are expected to monitor working practices to ensure procedures are followed and to provide additional instruction or refresher training when needed.
Safe Use of Equipment and Vehicles
All tools, handling equipment, vehicles and lifting aids used by Storage Ham are maintained in safe working order. Defects must be reported immediately and faulty equipment taken out of use until repaired or replaced.
Only trained and authorised personnel may operate specific equipment or vehicles. Loads must be secured correctly during transport and when stored, and weight limits must never be exceeded. Keys and access to vehicles and machinery are controlled to prevent unauthorised use.
Manual Handling and Ergonomics
Removals and storage work often involve lifting and carrying. To reduce the risk of injury, Storage Ham provides training in safe manual handling techniques and encourages the use of handling aids wherever possible.
Staff must assess the weight and shape of items before lifting, seek assistance with heavy or awkward loads, and use correct posture and lifting methods. We continually review how work is organised to minimise unnecessary manual handling and repetitive strain.
Workplace and Customer Site Safety
Within our premises we keep floors, access routes and fire exits clear and in good condition. Storage areas are organised to prevent unstable stacking and to allow safe access to units and goods.
When carrying out removals or collections at customer locations, staff must follow safe working procedures, including checking access routes, assessing parking and unloading areas, protecting flooring where needed, and avoiding damage to property. Any unsafe conditions encountered must be reported and, if necessary, work must be paused until risks are controlled.
Health, Welfare and First Aid
We aim to protect the overall wellbeing of our staff by providing access to basic welfare facilities and encouraging prompt reporting of any work related health concerns. Appropriate first aid equipment is provided at our sites and in vehicles where necessary, and trained first aiders are available according to assessed needs.
Employees must inform management of any health condition that could affect their ability to work safely so that reasonable adjustments or alternative arrangements can be considered.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, near misses, damage to property and dangerous occurrences must be reported as soon as possible. Storage Ham records and, where necessary, investigates incidents to identify causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
We encourage open reporting without blame, focusing on learning and improvement rather than criticism.
Emergency Preparedness
Our premises have arrangements for fire safety, evacuation and other foreseeable emergencies. This may include alarms, extinguishers, signage, emergency lighting and defined assembly points.
Staff are briefed on what to do in an emergency, and drills or exercises may be carried out periodically. When working at customer premises, employees must familiarise themselves with local emergency procedures and follow them if an incident occurs.
Monitoring, Review and Policy Availability
Storage Ham monitors health and safety performance through inspections, maintenance records, training logs and incident reports. This policy and associated procedures are reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in operations, best practice or legislation.
This Health and Safety Policy is communicated to all employees and made available to customers and contractors on request. Everyone involved in our services shares responsibility for maintaining a safe environment and upholding the standards described in this policy.
