Garden Clearance South Kensington - Health & Safety Policy

Policy statement: This policy sets out the commitments and procedures adopted by Garden Clearance South Kensington to protect employees, contractors, visitors and the public while delivering garden clearance, waste removal and rubbish collection across our service areas. Our primary aim is to prevent injury and ill health, minimise environmental impact and ensure safe, lawful handling of garden waste and general rubbish during all site operations.

Scope: This policy applies to all activities carried out by the business, including plant operation, manual handling, disposal of green waste, bulky rubbish clearances and the movement of waste vehicles within the rubbish company service area. It also covers subcontractors and temporary staff engaged in rubbish removal and garden clearance operations.

Responsibilities and roles

Management retains overall responsibility for health and safety. Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for ensuring safe systems of work on-site and in the rubbish removal service area. Employees must work in accordance with safe operating procedures, report hazards and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Key responsibilities include:

• Risk assessments and method statements for each clearance job.
• Provision and maintenance of PPE, tools and plant suitable for garden waste clearance and rubbish disposal.
• Training, competence checks and supervision of operatives in the rubbish clearance and waste removal tasks.

Safe working practices

Operatives must follow agreed method statements. Manual handling principles must be observed at all times: plan lifts, ask for assistance for heavy or awkward loads and use mechanical aids where available. Vehicles must be loaded safely to prevent shifting loads, and all materials must be secured before transit in the rubbish company service area.

All operatives will receive induction training and periodic refresher sessions covering safe use of hand tools, chainsaws, shredders and powered equipment commonly used in garden clearance and waste clearance services. Training records will be maintained and reviewed to ensure competence across the team.

Hazardous substances and environmental controls: Where garden treatments, pesticides or other hazardous materials are encountered, operatives must follow control measures and COSHH arrangements. Waste will be segregated at source where practical to promote recycling and lawful disposal. Spill kits and containment measures must be available on-site to protect soil and watercourses during clearance works.

Incident reporting and first aid: All incidents, near misses and injuries must be reported immediately to supervisors and recorded. Appropriate first aid equipment must be provided on-site and accessible. The business will investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective measures to prevent recurrence in the rubbish removal and garden clearance service operations.

Plant, vehicles and equipment maintenance: Equipment must be inspected before use and serviced at recommended intervals. Defective plant or tools must be removed from service until repaired. Vehicle operators will hold appropriate licences and follow inspection checklists to maintain a safe rubbish transport operation within the service area.

Communication and supervision: Clear channels of communication will be maintained between office staff, supervisors and crews on site. Briefings will be held at the start of each job to communicate risks and controls. Supervisors will monitor compliance and provide coaching to ensure safe rubbish clearance practices.

Monitoring and review: The business will audit health and safety performance against this policy regularly and update procedures in response to changes in legislation, equipment or operational practices. This policy will be reviewed at least annually or following significant incidents. Everyone engaged in garden waste clearance and rubbish removal services is expected to cooperate with these arrangements to maintain a safe workplace.

Commitment: We are committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance across our garden clearance and rubbish removal operations. By working together, following safe systems of work and maintaining high standards of training and equipment, we aim to protect people, property and the environment throughout our rubbish company service area.