Storage Kingston Health and Safety Policy
This Health and Safety Policy sets out the principles and arrangements adopted by Storage Kingston to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors, customers, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our storage and removal activities.
Our business involves the provision of secure storage facilities, handling of goods and removals-related services, including loading, unloading, lifting and transportation of customers possessions. We recognise that these activities present specific risks, and we are committed to managing them in a systematic and responsible way.
Our Health and Safety Objectives
Storage Kingston aims to provide a working environment that is, so far as reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health. Our core objectives are to:
Prevent accidents, injuries and work-related ill health.
Identify and manage hazards associated with storage units, loading areas, vehicles and handling equipment.
Provide and maintain safe systems of work for removals operations, including packing, lifting and transit.
Ensure all employees are properly trained, supervised and competent to carry out their duties safely.
Promote a positive health and safety culture where everyone understands their responsibilities and feels able to raise concerns.
Management Responsibilities
The management team at Storage Kingston has overall responsibility for implementing this policy and ensuring that appropriate resources are available to maintain high standards of health and safety performance.
Management will:
Regularly review risk assessments for storage facilities, offices, vehicles and removal operations.
Implement control measures to minimise significant risks, including safe working procedures and suitable equipment.
Ensure that all work equipment, including trolleys, lifting devices and vehicles, is maintained in a safe and serviceable condition.
Provide clear instructions, information and training so that staff understand the health and safety requirements of their roles.
Monitor health and safety performance and investigate incidents to identify and implement improvements.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees have 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.
Employees of Storage Kingston are expected to:
Follow all safety procedures, instructions and guidance provided.
Use equipment correctly, including manual handling aids and personal protective equipment where required.
Report hazards, near misses, unsafe conditions and incidents promptly to management.
Cooperate fully with training, supervision and any health and safety investigations.
Maintain good standards of housekeeping in offices, corridors, loading bays and storage units to prevent slips, trips and falls.
Customer and Visitor Safety
Storage Kingston takes reasonable steps to ensure that customers and visitors remain safe while on our premises and when interacting with our removals teams.
We will:
Provide clear signage for traffic routes, loading areas, fire exits and restricted zones.
Maintain access ways, stairs and external areas in a safe condition, with adequate lighting where appropriate.
Provide information on site rules, including safe behaviour in loading bays and around moving vehicles.
Manage customer access to storage units in a way that minimises conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles.
Safe Handling, Lifting and Removals Activities
Manual handling and the movement of goods are central to our storage and removal services. To reduce the risk of injury, Storage Kingston will:
Carry out manual handling risk assessments for typical loads and tasks, including furniture, boxes and bulky items.
Provide staff with training in correct lifting techniques, team handling and the use of handling aids.
Use mechanical aids, such as trolleys, pallet trucks and lifts, where reasonably practicable.
Plan removals jobs to avoid unnecessary lifting, ensure safe access and consider any site-specific risks.
Require staff to assess each item before moving it and to seek assistance when loads are heavy, awkward or unstable.
Vehicles and Driving Safety
Where company vehicles are used for removals or transporting goods, Storage Kingston will:
Ensure drivers are competent, licensed and familiar with the vehicles they operate.
Maintain vehicles in a roadworthy condition through regular inspections and servicing.
Plan routes and loading to avoid overloading, insecure loads and unsafe manoeuvres.
Promote safe driving practices, including adherence to speed limits, rest breaks and safe parking at customer locations.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
Storage Kingston recognises the importance of fire safety in storage and removals environments.
We will:
Conduct fire risk assessments and implement control measures to reduce the likelihood of fire and limit its spread.
Provide appropriate fire detection and firefighting equipment where required and ensure it is inspected regularly.
Maintain clear escape routes, marked exits and assembly points.
Provide staff with information and training on emergency procedures, including evacuation, calling emergency services and assisting customers and visitors.
Hazardous Substances and Prohibited Items
To protect people and property, Storage Kingston will not accept storage or transport of items that present unreasonable risks, such as certain hazardous substances, flammable materials or illegal goods.
We will:
Inform customers of prohibited items and conditions of storage.
Refuse to handle or store goods that may compromise safety.
Implement procedures for dealing with suspected hazardous materials, including isolation and reporting to the appropriate authorities where necessary.
Training, Consultation and Communication
Storage Kingston is committed to ensuring that all employees understand the health and safety implications of their duties.
We will:
Provide induction training for new employees, covering site rules, emergency procedures and safe working practices.
Offer role-specific training for removals staff, drivers, supervisors and other relevant personnel.
Consult with employees on matters affecting their health and safety and encourage feedback on potential improvements.
Communicate updates to procedures clearly and promptly.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, incidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported as soon as practicable.
Storage Kingston will:
Maintain an internal system for recording and reviewing incidents.
Investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
Use incident data to monitor trends and improve risk controls over time.
Cooperate with any investigations by relevant authorities.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in our operations, legislation or best practice. Storage Kingston is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance and will set measurable objectives where appropriate.
By working together and following the principles in this policy, Storage Kingston aims to provide safe storage facilities and reliable, well-managed removal services that protect our staff, customers and the wider community.
