Health and Safety Policy — Flat Clearance Hackney

This Health and Safety policy sets out the approach of Flat Clearance Hackney to manage health, safety and welfare during all flat and property clearance operations. It applies to every member of staff, contractors and visitors involved in our flat clearance service and associated rubbish removal activities across the rubbish company service area. The policy emphasises risk awareness, prevention of incidents and continual improvement of safe working practices while performing waste clearance, bulky rubbish removal and site tidy operations.

We maintain clear responsibilities and lines of accountability: senior management provide leadership and resources, supervisors ensure safe systems of work are followed on each job, and every operative has a duty to work safely and report hazards. The policy promotes a positive safety culture where near-misses and incidents are reported promptly and lessons are acted upon. Our waste removal teams are expected to follow documented procedures for hazardous materials, electrical items and sharps, and to cooperate in routine inspections and toolbox talks.

Scope and Objectives

This policy covers house and flat clearance services, domestic rubbish collection, commercial waste collection where undertaken, and associated transport of materials within our service area. The objectives are to:

• prevent work-related injuries and occupational ill-health;
• comply with recognised safe work standards for waste clearance;
• reduce environmental harm through correct handling and segregation of waste.

These objectives guide all operational planning and continuous monitoring of performance.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems

Prior to every clearance, a competent person completes a written risk assessment identifying manual handling risks, trip and fall hazards, confined spaces, hazardous substances and any special access considerations (stairs, lifts or narrow corridors). Control measures include safe lifting techniques, use of mechanical aids, clear access routes and appropriate storage of waste prior to collection. Safe systems of work are documented and reviewed when conditions change or new hazards are introduced.

Manual handling training is mandatory for all operatives who perform bulky rubbish collection and furniture removal. Training covers ergonomics, team lifting, correct use of sack trucks and trolleys, and when to stop and seek assistance. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, high-visibility clothing, steel-toe boots and eye protection is provided, maintained and worn in accordance with task-specific risk assessments. PPE is considered the last line of defence after elimination, substitution and engineering controls.

Vehicles and Transport Safety — Vehicles used in rubbish removal and waste clearance are subject to regular maintenance checks, loading safety procedures and securement of loads to prevent shifting in transit. Drivers hold appropriate licences and are briefed on safe route planning, manual handling while loading/unloading and hygiene measures to minimise contamination risk. Vehicle checks and defect reporting procedures are in place to ensure roadworthiness and operator safety.

Environmental and waste segregation controls require correct identification and separation of recyclable materials, hazardous items (batteries, solvents, asbestos-containing materials) and general refuse. When potentially hazardous items are discovered during a flat clearance, operations are paused and the item is handled by trained staff using appropriate containment and disposal methods. We work to minimise environmental impact while ensuring health and safety standards are upheld across the entire rubbish company service area.

Emergency arrangements include first aid provision, access to emergency services, clear procedures for spill containment and evacuation where necessary. First aiders are appointed and equipment maintained. Incident reporting follows a documented process that captures root causes and corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Regular drills and scenario reviews keep teams prepared for unusual or high-risk clearances.

Training, monitoring and continuous improvement are central to our approach. Induction and refresher training programmes ensure all staff understand the policy, safe working procedures and their responsibilities. Supervisors carry out random spot checks and formal audits to assess compliance and operational performance. Performance indicators include near-miss reporting rates, toolbox talk completion and corrective action closure times. The policy is reviewed annually or following significant incidents, new legislation or operational changes to ensure it remains effective and relevant to the rubbish removal and waste clearance services we provide.