Health & Safety Policy for Commercial Waste Removal Tufnell Park

This Health & Safety policy applies to all staff, contractors and subcontractors engaged in commercial waste removal and associated services across our rubbish company service area. The policy sets out our commitment to safe working, legal compliance and continuous improvement in risk control for commercial rubbish collection, vehicle operations and customer site interactions.

We are committed to preventing work-related injury and ill health, and to providing safe systems of work. This includes ensuring appropriate training, the provision of suitable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the use of safe equipment and welfare facilities for crews involved in trade waste collection and other waste removal duties.

Responsibilities are defined at every level: senior management retains overall accountability for health and safety, operations managers are responsible for implementation, and frontline staff are responsible for following procedures and reporting hazards. All employees must co-operate with safety arrangements and take reasonable care of themselves and others.

We carry out and document systematic risk assessments for the full range of commercial waste removal activities, from loading and compacting to manual handling, lifting, and working around vehicles. Risk controls follow the hierarchy of avoidance, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE. Controls are regularly reviewed to reflect changes in operations or legislation.

Key operational controls include segregation of hazardous materials at source, the safe use of tail-lifts and lifting aids, secure stowage of loads during transit, and clear site access and egress arrangements. Practical measures are implemented to limit manual handling and reduce exposure to sharps, chemicals and biological contaminants.

To support safe working the company maintains written safe systems of work, method statements for high-risk tasks and documented permit-to-work arrangements where required. Supervisors carry out pre-shift briefings and site-specific checks before work commences.

All staff receive induction training covering hazard awareness, PPE use, manual handling, and vehicle safety. Ongoing competence is maintained through refresher training, toolbox talks and recorded practical assessments for duties such as operating mechanical lifting equipment and handling hazardous waste.

We place particular emphasis on communication: crews must report near misses, unsafe conditions and incidents immediately. Supervisors investigate incidents, implement corrective actions and share lessons learned across the team to prevent recurrence.

To reinforce standards, we use checklists, ride-alongs and periodic audits of collection rounds and depot activities. Performance metrics include incident rates, audit scores and completion of mandatory training.

Vehicle safety procedures cover routine inspection, maintenance, load security and safe reversing. Drivers are required to complete vehicle walk-around checks and to follow safe driving standards while operating within the rubbish removal service area.

Depot safety includes safe storage of bulk waste, segregated areas for hazardous materials, spill kits and emergency equipment. Waste transfer and handling areas are designed to minimise cross-contamination and to protect staff and visiting contractors.

When working on customer premises, crews must follow site-specific policies and respect customer instructions. Where conflicts exist, work should pause until hazards are resolved or a safe method is agreed.

The company strictly follows legal requirements for hazardous and controlled waste: identification, packaging, labelling, documentation and movement under the correct waste consignment procedures. Staff are trained to recognise hazardous categories and to ensure that excluded materials (e.g., asbestos) are not accepted unless managed under specialist arrangements.

Records are maintained for waste transfer notes, training, inspections and incident reports. These records support regulatory compliance and enable transparent auditing of the waste chain from collection to disposal or recovery.

Contractors and suppliers are subject to due diligence checks and must demonstrate competence and compliance with this policy before being engaged. Subcontracted work is monitored and audited to ensure standards are met.

Emergency procedures cover fire, spills, major injuries and environmental incidents. Staff are trained in first aid basics, spill response and emergency communications. Regular drills and scenario exercises test readiness and identify improvement opportunities.

Monitoring of health and safety performance uses audits, incident analysis and staff feedback. The management team reviews the policy and performance at planned intervals and following significant incidents to ensure effectiveness and relevance.

We foster a culture of shared responsibility where safety is integral to operational excellence. By combining robust controls, competent people and effective communication, our commercial waste and rubbish removal services remain safe, compliant and reliable across the service area.