Storage Kenley Health and Safety Policy
Storage Kenley is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our employees, customers, contractors, visitors and all others who may be affected by our storage and removal activities. We recognise our duty to manage health and safety risks systematically and to continually improve our performance in line with best industry practice.
Policy Statement and Objectives
The objective of this Health and Safety Policy is to prevent injury, ill health, accidents and near misses in connection with our storage and removal services. We aim to achieve this by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective control measures in all areas of our operations, including storage facilities, vehicles, handling equipment and customer access points.
We will regularly review this policy to ensure it remains relevant to the scale and nature of our services and responsive to any changes in law, guidance or business activities.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Storage Kenley holds overall responsibility for health and safety performance. This includes ensuring that adequate resources are allocated to maintain safe premises, vehicles and equipment, as well as to provide information, instruction, training and supervision to employees.
Managers are responsible for implementing this policy within their areas of control, carrying out risk assessments, monitoring working practices and taking appropriate action to remedy any deficiencies. They must lead by example, promote a positive safety culture and encourage open reporting of hazards, incidents and near misses.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees have a legal and moral 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 must follow all safety procedures, use equipment correctly, cooperate with managers on safety matters and immediately report any unsafe conditions, incidents or injuries.
No employee should undertake any work for which they have not been appropriately trained or authorised. Employees must make proper use of personal protective equipment and refrain from any behaviour that could compromise safety, including horseplay, impairment by alcohol or drugs, or deliberate misuse of equipment.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
Storage Kenley will undertake suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering all relevant activities, including lifting and handling of items, operation of vehicles, use of trolleys and equipment, working in storage units, loading and unloading vehicles, and customer access to the premises.
From these assessments, we will develop and implement safe systems of work, method statements and operating procedures that clearly set out how tasks should be carried out safely. These procedures will be communicated to all relevant staff and reviewed periodically or following any significant change or incident.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
The nature of storage and removal work involves frequent lifting, carrying and moving of items. To reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury, Storage Kenley provides manual handling training, appropriate handling aids and realistic workload planning.
Staff must always assess the weight, size and shape of loads before lifting, seek assistance where necessary and use mechanical aids whenever reasonably practicable. Only authorised and trained personnel may operate handling equipment, vehicles or lifting devices, and pre-use checks must be carried out in line with our procedures.
Vehicles, Driving and Transport Safety
Our removal and transport activities must be conducted with particular care to protect drivers, passengers, customers and other road users. Vehicles will be maintained in safe condition, with regular inspections and servicing.
Drivers must hold appropriate licences, follow all road traffic rules, avoid unsafe loading and secure all goods properly before and during transit. Mobile devices must not be used while driving except via approved hands-free arrangements where permitted by law. Fatigue management, journey planning and weather conditions will be considered to reduce risks associated with driving.
Workplace Environment and Housekeeping
Storage Kenley will maintain clean, orderly and well-lit premises with clear access routes and emergency exits. Good housekeeping is essential to minimise slips, trips and falls and to enable safe movement of goods and people.
Obstructions, spillages and damaged fixtures must be reported and dealt with promptly. Designated walkways, loading zones and customer areas must be kept free from unnecessary items, and appropriate signage will be used where hazards cannot immediately be removed.
Fire Safety and Emergencies
We will take all reasonable steps to prevent fires and to ensure that, in the event of a fire or other emergency, people can evacuate the premises safely and quickly. This includes maintaining fire detection and alarm systems where installed, ensuring clear escape routes, and providing fire extinguishers appropriate to the risks present.
Employees will receive information on emergency procedures, assembly points and their responsibilities during an evacuation. Practice drills will be carried out at suitable intervals, and emergency arrangements will be reviewed whenever there are significant changes to the layout or use of the premises.
Hazardous Substances and Restricted Items
To protect people and property, certain hazardous or prohibited goods may not be stored or transported through our facilities. Customers will be informed of any restrictions on items such as flammable materials, explosives, toxic substances or perishable goods that may present hygiene or safety risks.
Where controlled substances are handled as part of operational needs, risk assessments will specify safe handling, storage and disposal arrangements, and staff will receive relevant training.
Training, Information and Supervision
Storage Kenley will provide health and safety induction training for all new employees and additional task-specific training as required for roles involving manual handling, driving, equipment use or supervision of others.
Safety information will be communicated through signage, written procedures, briefings and refresher training. Supervisors will monitor compliance, correct unsafe behaviour and support staff in carrying out tasks safely and competently.
Consultation, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
We encourage all employees to participate in improving health and safety. Concerns, suggestions and incident reports are welcomed and will be taken seriously. Accident and near-miss reports will be investigated to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
Senior management will periodically review health and safety performance, audit compliance with this policy and update procedures where necessary. Our goal is continuous improvement in creating a safe, secure and healthy environment for everyone who uses or works within Storage Kenley.
