Health and Safety Policy for Removals France
Removals France is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our removals activities. This policy applies to all domestic and commercial moves, storage operations and associated services carried out by our teams.
The company recognises that effective health and safety management is essential to delivering a professional moving service. We work to identify, assess and control risks related to lifting, driving, loading and unloading, handling customer property and operating in a wide range of residential and business locations.
Health and Safety Objectives
Our primary objectives are to prevent injury and ill health, protect property, and minimise any negative impact arising from our activities. We aim to:
Promote a positive safety culture at every level of the business, reduce accidents and near misses through proactive risk management, ensure that all equipment, vehicles and materials are maintained in a safe condition, and continually improve our health and safety performance.
Management Responsibilities
The management of Removals France has overall responsibility for implementing this Health and Safety Policy. Management will provide clear leadership, set safety standards and allocate appropriate resources to ensure compliance with relevant health and safety requirements.
Managers and supervisors are responsible for:
Ensuring risk assessments are carried out for removal work, transport routes and storage facilities. Providing appropriate training, information and supervision to employees. Making sure that work is planned to minimise manual handling risks, trips, falls and vehicle incidents. Monitoring working practices and taking corrective action where necessary.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. Every team member must:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their actions. Follow all safety instructions, training and company procedures. Use vehicles, lifting aids and equipment correctly and report any defects immediately. Wear suitable clothing and any required personal protective equipment. Report accidents, incidents, hazards and near misses as soon as possible so that preventive action can be taken.
Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices
Removals France will identify hazards associated with moving services and put in place safe systems of work. This includes careful planning of each move, taking into account access conditions, parking arrangements, stairways, lifts, fragile items and heavy or awkward loads.
Before work begins, our team leaders will assess the site, identify potential risks and agree suitable control measures. These may include using additional staff for heavy items, applying safe lifting techniques, using trolleys, dollies and ramps, securing items within vehicles, and adjusting the planned route for safety reasons.
Where conditions on the day differ from expectations, work will be paused if necessary until safe methods can be agreed. No job is so urgent that it cannot be completed safely.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Manual handling is a core part of moving household and office goods. To reduce the risk of injury, employees will be trained in correct lifting and carrying techniques and in the use of appropriate equipment.
Whenever possible, heavy or bulky items will be moved using mechanical aids such as sack trucks, furniture dollies, skates and lifting straps. Loads will be kept stable and secure at all times. Staff will avoid twisting while lifting, carrying items over long distances without rest, and attempting to move items that are beyond their capability without assistance or additional equipment.
All handling equipment will be regularly inspected and maintained, and any damaged or defective items will be taken out of service immediately.
Vehicle Safety and Driving Standards
Our vehicles are essential to providing a reliable moving service, and their safe operation is a priority. Removals France will ensure that vehicles are roadworthy, regularly inspected and maintained.
Drivers must hold appropriate licences and follow all road safety and company driving rules. This includes obeying speed limits, planning routes in advance, allowing sufficient travel time, securing loads correctly, and avoiding driving when tired or unwell. Any collision, damage or near miss involving company vehicles must be reported promptly so that appropriate investigation and follow-up can take place.
Customer Premises and Public Safety
Our teams work at customer homes, offices, storage facilities and public areas. We will take all reasonable steps to protect customers, visitors and members of the public from harm while our work is in progress.
Where necessary, our staff will establish clear walkways, use warning signs or verbal instructions to indicate moving operations, keep doorways, stairs and corridors as clear as practicable, and take extra care in shared spaces such as car parks and entrances. We will treat every property with respect, taking care to prevent damage to structures, fixtures and fittings while moving items.
Training, Information and Supervision
Removals France will provide employees with suitable health and safety training relevant to their roles. This may include induction training for new starters, manual handling and lifting techniques, safe driving and vehicle checks, use of equipment and handling of specialist items, and emergency procedures.
Supervisors and team leaders will monitor working practices, particularly during complex or high-risk moves, and will intervene where unsafe behaviour or conditions are identified. Additional training will be provided where needed to address new risks or to reinforce safe working practices.
Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures
All accidents, injuries, incidents and near misses that occur during removals work or related travel must be reported to management. We will record and, where appropriate, investigate such events to understand their causes and to prevent recurrence.
Employees will be briefed on emergency procedures, including what to do in case of fire, serious injury, vehicle breakdown or collision, and sudden changes in site conditions. First aid provisions will be made available as required, and staff will be informed about how to obtain assistance when needed.
Review and Continuous Improvement
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to our activities, equipment or working methods. Feedback from employees, customers and other interested parties will be considered as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.
Removals France expects everyone involved in our operations to support this policy and to work together to maintain a safe, professional and reliable removals service.
