Storage Addiscombe Health and Safety Policy
This Health and Safety Policy sets out how Storage Addiscombe manages health, safety and welfare for everyone who works on, visits or makes use of our storage facilities and associated removal and handling services. Our aim is to prevent injury, protect property and promote a safe working and visiting environment at all times.
Our Commitment
Storage Addiscombe is committed to maintaining high standards of health and safety in all storage and removal activities. We recognise our responsibilities to employees, contractors, customers and visitors. Management will provide clear information, instruction, training and supervision to support safe working practices, and will ensure that appropriate resources are made available to implement this policy.
We will regularly review and, where necessary, update this policy to reflect changes in legislation, industry best practice and the way we operate our storage and removal services.
Objectives
Our health and safety objectives are to:
Prevent accidents, incidents and work-related ill health associated with storage units, loading bays, vehicles and handling equipment.
Assess significant risks arising from our day-to-day activities, including moving and handling of goods, and implement effective control measures.
Provide and maintain safe premises, plant and equipment, including storage areas, corridors, access routes and removal vehicles.
Ensure safe systems of work for staff carrying out lifting, carrying, packing, loading, unloading and transporting items.
Promote a positive safety culture in which everyone shares responsibility for identifying hazards and reporting concerns promptly.
Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for health and safety rests with senior management at Storage Addiscombe. They are responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented, communicated and monitored.
Managers and supervisors are responsible for day-to-day health and safety arrangements, including conducting risk assessments, providing training and checking that safe working procedures are followed in storage areas and during any removal or handling work.
All employees must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. Staff must:
Follow all safety instructions, signage and training provided.
Use equipment, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly and only for their intended purpose.
Report hazards, near misses, defects and incidents without delay.
Refrain from any activity for which they have not been trained or authorised.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
We carry out risk assessments for our storage facilities and removal-related activities. These assessments consider potential hazards such as slips and trips, manual handling, falls from height, vehicle movements, use of trolleys and lifting equipment, and the handling of customer property.
Where risks cannot be eliminated, we will introduce suitable control measures, including safe systems of work, restricted access areas, clearly marked walkways, and procedures for lifting, carrying, stacking and securing items safely in storage units and vehicles.
Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to the premises, equipment or working practices.
Safe Premises and Equipment
We will maintain our storage facilities and any associated vehicles in a safe condition. This includes:
Keeping floors, stairs, corridors and loading areas clear, clean and well lit.
Ensuring that doors, shutters, ramps and access routes are in good working order.
Inspecting trolleys, sack trucks and other handling aids and taking defective equipment out of use.
Maintaining any lifting or loading equipment in accordance with manufacturers recommendations and legal requirements.
Ensuring that security and fire doors are accessible and not obstructed by stored items.
Manual Handling and Removal Activities
Manual handling is a key part of storage and removal work. To reduce the risk of injury:
Employees will be trained in safe lifting and carrying techniques, including team lifting where appropriate.
Whenever practical, mechanical aids such as trolleys and lifting equipment will be used to move heavy or bulky items.
Loads will be assessed before lifting to ensure they are within safe limits and are stable, with contents adequately packed and secured.
Vehicles will be loaded and unloaded using safe methods that minimise the risk of falls, crush injuries and property damage.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
Storage Addiscombe maintains fire safety arrangements suitable for the nature of our premises and activities. This includes:
Fire detection and alarm systems appropriate to the building and its use.
Clearly marked fire exits, escape routes and assembly points.
Routine checks to ensure exits are not blocked and that fire safety equipment is accessible.
Emergency procedures for evacuation and dealing with incidents, communicated to staff and displayed where appropriate.
In the event of an alarm, all persons on site must follow staff instructions, leave the building by the nearest safe exit and must not re-enter until confirmed safe to do so.
Customer and Visitor Safety
Customers and visitors have an important role in maintaining a safe environment. When using our storage or removal services, customers must:
Comply with displayed safety information and any directions given by staff.
Pack items securely, avoiding overloading boxes or containers.
Use only authorised access routes, lifts and loading areas.
Refrain from bringing prohibited or dangerous substances onto the premises.
Exercise care when moving items, using provided handling equipment correctly and not attempting to lift loads beyond their capability.
Training, Information and Supervision
Storage Addiscombe provides employees with information and training relevant to their roles, including induction training, safe use of equipment, manual handling, fire safety and any specific procedures for removal operations.
Training needs are reviewed periodically and when there are changes to equipment, processes or legislation. Supervision is provided to ensure that procedures are followed and that standards are maintained.
Accidents, Incidents and First Aid
All accidents, injuries, incidents and near misses must be reported as soon as possible to a member of staff or management. We keep records of such events and investigate where appropriate to identify causes and implement corrective actions.
First aid provisions are maintained on site, and designated personnel are trained to provide basic first aid within the scope of their competence.
Monitoring and Policy Review
Storage Addiscombe monitors health and safety performance through inspections, incident reporting and feedback from staff and customers. This policy and the arrangements that support it will be reviewed regularly and whenever necessary to ensure they remain effective, relevant and aligned with our commitment to continuous improvement in health and safety.
By working together and following the principles set out in this policy, Storage Addiscombe aims to provide safe, secure and well-managed storage and removal services for all users of our facilities.
