Storage Noak Hill Health and Safety Policy
Storage Noak Hill is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for employees, customers, contractors and visitors. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with storage facilities, removals operations, handling of goods and use of vehicles and equipment.
Policy Statement and Objectives
Our objective is to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective control measures. We aim to promote a positive safety culture where safe behaviour, clear communication and continuous improvement are part of everyday working practices.
This policy applies to all areas of our storage and removal activities, including warehouses, storage units, loading areas, offices and vehicles used for collections, deliveries and moving services.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management is responsible for establishing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy, ensuring that adequate resources, training and supervision are provided. Management will:
Identify and review significant risks related to storage operations, moving and handling of customer goods, vehicle movements and use of equipment. Provide and maintain safe premises, plant and systems of work. Ensure that employees are competent to carry out their duties safely, with appropriate training, instruction and information. Monitor performance, investigate incidents and take corrective action where necessary. Review this policy regularly and update it in line with operational changes and relevant health and safety guidance.
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 are required to:
Follow safety procedures and site rules at all times. Use equipment, machinery and vehicles only as trained and authorised. Report hazards, unsafe conditions, accidents, injuries and near-misses promptly to their manager or supervisor. Wear and correctly use any personal protective equipment provided. Co-operate fully with investigations, risk assessments and training activities. Refrain from horseplay, dangerous behaviour or working under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Customer and Visitor Safety
Storage Noak Hill will take reasonable steps to ensure that customers, visitors and delivery drivers can access and use our premises safely. This includes clear signage, well-marked pedestrian routes where practicable and guidance on safe loading and unloading practices.
Customers and visitors must comply with site instructions, observe restricted areas and follow any guidance provided by staff regarding safe use of storage units, trolleys and loading bays.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
We will carry out and maintain suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering key activities including:
Handling and moving of furniture, boxes and heavy items. Operation of vehicles and manoeuvring within yards, entrances and loading areas. Use of handling aids such as sack trucks, dollies, pallet trucks and lifts. Storage unit access, stacking of goods and safe use of ladders or steps where required. Housekeeping, waste management and fire safety.
Based on these assessments, we will implement safe systems of work and communicate them to employees and relevant contractors. Procedures will be reviewed in response to incidents, operational changes or new information.
Manual Handling and Safe Lifting
Manual handling is a core element of our removals and storage activities. To reduce the risk of injury, Storage Noak Hill will:
Provide training on safe lifting techniques, team handling and use of mechanical aids. Plan removal jobs to minimise unnecessary lifting, carrying distances and awkward postures. Encourage employees to assess each lift before starting and to seek assistance with heavy, bulky or unstable loads. Use appropriate equipment, such as trolleys or dollies, whenever reasonably practicable.
Vehicle and Driving Safety
Our vehicles are essential to our removal and delivery services. We will maintain vehicles in a safe and roadworthy condition and ensure that only authorised and competent drivers operate them. Drivers must follow road traffic laws, company driving rules and any site-specific traffic management arrangements.
Loading and unloading of vehicles will be planned and supervised to prevent falls from height, load movement and other handling risks. Loads must be secured properly before vehicles move on or off site.
Work Equipment and Maintenance
All work equipment, including handling aids, lifts and any machinery used in our operations, will be selected, inspected and maintained to ensure safety. Employees must not use defective equipment and must report faults immediately. Only trained and authorised personnel may carry out repairs or modifications.
Fire, Emergency Procedures and First Aid
Storage Noak Hill will maintain suitable fire detection and emergency arrangements appropriate to the premises. Fire exits and escape routes will be kept clear and clearly indicated. Staff will be trained in evacuation procedures and the location of assembly points.
First aid provisions suitable for the size and nature of our operations will be maintained, and employees will be informed of how to obtain first aid assistance. All accidents and significant incidents must be reported and recorded to support investigation and prevention.
Training, Information and Supervision
We will provide induction training for new employees covering general site safety, emergency procedures and relevant hazards. Additional task-specific training will be provided for roles involving driving, use of equipment, manual handling and specialist removal activities.
Supervisors will monitor working practices to ensure that safety procedures are followed, provide guidance where required and address unsafe behaviour promptly and fairly.
Housekeeping and Storage Standards
Good housekeeping is essential to prevent slips, trips, falls and damage to goods. Aisles, walkways and fire exits must be kept free from obstruction. Spills must be cleaned up promptly and waste materials disposed of safely.
Goods stored within units and common areas must be stacked securely to prevent collapse. Items should be arranged to allow safe access and retrieval without overreaching or climbing on unstable surfaces.
Consultation and Continuous Improvement
Storage Noak Hill is committed to consulting with employees on health and safety matters and encouraging feedback on how our controls and procedures operate in practice. Lessons learned from incidents, near-misses and customer feedback will be used to improve our systems.
This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant, effective and aligned with the nature and scale of our storage and removal services.
