Storage Homerton Health and Safety Policy
This Health and Safety Policy explains how Storage Homerton manages the wellbeing of employees, contractors, visitors, and customers in all storage and removal activities. Our aim is to provide safe and secure facilities and removal services by identifying risks, reducing hazards, and promoting a culture of safety at every stage of our work.
Policy Statement and Objectives
Storage Homerton is committed to maintaining high standards of health and safety in all storage operations and removal services. We seek to prevent accidents, work-related ill health, and damage to property by planning tasks carefully, using appropriate equipment, and monitoring performance.
Our main objectives are to provide safe and well maintained premises, use safe systems of work for lifting, loading, transporting, and storing goods, provide information, instruction, and training so that staff can carry out tasks safely, and continually review and improve our health and safety arrangements.
Responsibilities and Leadership
Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with the management of Storage Homerton. Managers will provide clear direction, allocate appropriate resources, and ensure that risk controls are implemented and maintained.
Supervisors must make sure that staff and contractors follow safe working practices, use equipment correctly, wear any required protective equipment, and report hazards without delay. Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
All workers are expected to cooperate with health and safety measures, attend required training, and immediately report accidents, incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Storage Homerton conducts regular risk assessments covering storage units, yards, loading areas, vehicles, and routes used for removal services. These assessments consider physical risks such as manual handling, slips and trips, falling objects, vehicle movements, and use of equipment including trolleys, lifts, and loading ramps.
Safe systems of work are created from these risk assessments and include methods for loading and unloading vehicles, stacking and retrieving goods in storage units, storing heavy or awkward items at suitable heights, and securing goods for transport to prevent shifting or damage.
Risk assessments are reviewed periodically and after any significant change in operations, equipment, or layout, or following an accident or near miss.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is a key area of risk in storage and removal operations. Storage Homerton aims to minimise manual lifting wherever reasonably practicable by using handling aids such as sack trucks, pallet trucks, and trolleys. Where manual lifting cannot be avoided, items must be assessed for weight, shape, and stability before being moved.
Staff involved in lifting, carrying, loading, or unloading receive training in safe manual handling techniques including team lifting, use of equipment, and recognition of personal limits. No one is expected to lift or move loads which present an unacceptable risk to health.
Mechanical and powered equipment is selected, maintained, and inspected to ensure that it is safe for use. Only authorised and trained personnel may operate such equipment.
Vehicles, Driving, and Transport Safety
Removals vehicles and any associated trailers are maintained in a roadworthy condition, inspected regularly, and loaded within manufacturer and legal limits. Loads must be secured to prevent movement during transit, and doors and ramps must be used and stowed correctly.
Drivers must hold appropriate licences, follow safe driving practices, and comply with speed limits and parking rules. Routes are planned to minimise risks where practicable and to take account of access restrictions, loading areas, and safe stopping points.
When working at customer premises or other locations, staff take care to protect both people and property by clearly identifying work areas, using safe lifting techniques, and avoiding obstructions, trip hazards, and unsafe stacking.
Storage Unit Safety and Housekeeping
Storage units and communal areas are kept in a clean and orderly condition to reduce risks of slips, trips, and falls. Aisles, walkways, stairways, and exits must be kept clear of obstructions at all times.
Goods within units should be stored in a stable manner. Heavy items are placed at lower levels, and lighter items higher up. Items must not be stacked in a way that could cause collapse or falling objects when doors are opened or goods are moved.
Customers are requested to follow guidance on safe stacking, prohibited items, and unit capacity, to help maintain safe conditions for everyone using the facility.
Fire Safety and Emergency Arrangements
Storage Homerton maintains fire safety arrangements appropriate to storage and removal operations. Fire detection and warning measures, along with clearly marked escape routes and exits, are provided where required. Fire extinguishing equipment is available and inspected at suitable intervals.
Staff are instructed in emergency procedures, including how to raise the alarm, assist with evacuation where safe to do so, and direct visitors towards exits. Evacuation routes must not be blocked by stored items, vehicles, or equipment.
Only permitted goods may be stored. Flammable, explosive, corrosive, or otherwise hazardous materials are not accepted unless specifically authorised and risk assessed.
Training, Information, and Supervision
Storage Homerton provides appropriate health and safety training to employees and, where relevant, to contractors and temporary staff. Training covers induction to company safety rules, manual handling, use of equipment, fire safety, and specific procedures relevant to storage and removals activities.
Information about risks and control measures is communicated through briefings, signage, and written instructions. Supervisors monitor work practices and provide guidance where needed, especially for new or inexperienced staff.
Accident Reporting and Continuous Improvement
All accidents, incidents, near misses, and cases of work-related ill health must be reported promptly. Records are kept and reviewed to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
Where necessary, investigations are carried out to determine underlying causes and to agree corrective actions. These may include changes to equipment, procedures, training, or supervision.
Storage Homerton is committed to ongoing improvement in health and safety performance and encourages employees to suggest ideas for safer ways of working.
Customer Responsibilities
Customers using storage units or removal services share responsibility for safety. Customers must follow site rules and instructions from staff, park and load only in designated areas, secure children and pets away from vehicle and loading zones, and avoid storing prohibited or dangerous items.
By working together, Storage Homerton, its staff, and its customers can help maintain a safe, efficient, and professional storage and removal environment.
