Storage Blackfriars Health and Safety Policy
Storage Blackfriars is committed to providing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all employees, customers, visitors, contractors and any other persons who may be affected by our storage and removal activities. This policy sets out our approach to managing health and safety across our premises, vehicles and operational processes.
Policy Statement and Objectives
The objective of this policy is to prevent injury and ill health and to promote a positive health and safety culture throughout Storage Blackfriars. We aim to:
Identify, assess and control risks arising from our storage and removal operations.
Provide safe and well maintained facilities, vehicles, plant and equipment.
Ensure that employees are trained, competent and adequately supervised.
Establish safe systems of work for handling, lifting, loading, unloading and transporting goods.
Consult with employees on matters affecting their health, safety and welfare.
Continually review and improve our health and safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
The senior management of Storage Blackfriars has overall responsibility for health and safety within the organisation. Management will ensure that:
Health and safety considerations are integrated into all planning and decision making.
Appropriate resources are provided for the implementation of this policy.
Risk assessments are carried out regularly and control measures are implemented and monitored.
All employees receive appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision.
Any accidents, incidents or near misses are investigated and corrective actions are taken.
This policy is reviewed periodically and updated when necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance or company operations.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees, including temporary and agency workers, have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Employees are required to:
Follow all safety procedures, instructions and training provided by Storage Blackfriars.
Use equipment, vehicles, tools and safety devices correctly and not interfere with or misuse them.
Report hazards, defects, unsafe practices, accidents and near misses to management without delay.
Wear and maintain any personal protective equipment provided, as instructed.
Cooperate with any risk assessment, health surveillance, emergency drill or investigation.
Refrain from any behaviour that could compromise safety, including working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Safe Storage Facilities
Storage Blackfriars will provide storage facilities that are designed, operated and maintained to protect the safety of all users. This includes:
Maintaining clear access routes, exits and loading areas.
Ensuring adequate lighting, ventilation and housekeeping throughout the premises.
Implementing safe procedures for customer access to storage units.
Controlling and clearly communicating any restrictions on items that may not be stored, such as hazardous, illegal or perishable goods.
Carrying out regular inspections of storage areas, walkways, stairways and service yards.
Manual Handling, Lifting and Loading
Our operations involve frequent handling, lifting, carrying, loading and unloading of items for storage and removal. To minimise the risk of injury, Storage Blackfriars will:
Carry out manual handling risk assessments for typical tasks and loads.
Provide mechanical aids where reasonably practicable, such as sack trucks, trolleys and lifting equipment.
Train employees in safe lifting techniques and in the correct use of handling equipment.
Plan removal and loading activities to avoid unnecessary lifting and to ensure adequate staffing.
Encourage customers to pack and label items in a way that supports safe handling, including weight distribution and clear identification of fragile items.
Vehicles and Driving Safety
Where Storage Blackfriars provides removal or transport services, we will ensure that vehicles and driving practices are managed safely. This includes:
Ensuring that vehicles are regularly inspected, serviced and maintained in a roadworthy condition.
Checking that loads are packed and secured safely to prevent shifting during transit.
Providing guidance to drivers on safe driving, route planning and rest breaks.
Requiring drivers to comply with all legal requirements and company procedures related to driving safety.
Managing vehicle movements in yards and loading areas to protect pedestrians and other road users.
Contractors and Visitors
Storage Blackfriars recognises its responsibility for the safety of contractors and visitors. We will:
Provide clear information on site rules, restricted areas and emergency procedures.
Require contractors to demonstrate that they are competent and adequately insured for the work they carry out.
Coordinate and cooperate with contractors on health and safety arrangements where work interfaces with our operations.
Monitor contractor activities to ensure they do not create unacceptable risks.
Emergency Preparedness
Storage Blackfriars will maintain effective arrangements to deal with emergencies, including fire, spillages and other incidents. These arrangements include:
Clearly signed emergency exits and evacuation routes.
Appropriate fire detection, alarm and firefighting equipment, maintained and inspected regularly.
Emergency procedures for evacuation and incident response, communicated to staff and displayed on site.
Training and drills so that employees know what to do in an emergency.
Procedures for contacting emergency services when necessary.
Accident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, incidents, dangerous occurrences and near misses must be reported promptly. Storage Blackfriars will:
Record and review all incident reports to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Investigate incidents appropriately to establish root causes.
Implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Communicate lessons learned to relevant employees and, where appropriate, to contractors.
Health, Welfare and Wellbeing
Storage Blackfriars is committed to supporting the general health and wellbeing of employees. We will:
Provide suitable welfare facilities, including rest areas and sanitary facilities.
Consider the impact of workloads, shift patterns and physical demands on staff.
Encourage employees to raise any concerns about their health in relation to work.
Take reasonable steps to support individuals returning to work following illness or injury.
Training, Consultation and Continuous Improvement
Effective health and safety management depends on competence and communication. Storage Blackfriars will:
Provide induction training for all new employees and role specific training where required.
Offer refresher training at appropriate intervals or when work practices change.
Consult employees on health and safety matters and take account of their feedback.
Review this policy and related procedures periodically to ensure they remain effective and relevant.
This Health and Safety Policy applies to all operations of Storage Blackfriars, including storage services, associated removal activities and all supporting functions. Compliance with this policy is a condition of employment and of working on, or visiting, our premises.
