Storage Grahame Park Health and Safety Policy
Storage Grahame Park is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all employees, contractors, visitors and customers using our storage and removal services. This policy sets out our approach to identifying and managing health and safety risks, promoting safe systems of work and ensuring continuous improvement in our safety performance.
Policy Aims and Objectives
Our objective is to prevent injury, ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment arising from our activities. We aim to achieve this by maintaining safe premises, vehicles, equipment and working practices, and by promoting a positive health and safety culture throughout our operations.
We will regularly review this policy to ensure it remains suitable and effective in light of changing operations, legislation, industry standards and best practice in the storage and removals sector.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Storage Grahame Park holds overall responsibility for health and safety. Management will provide appropriate resources, information, instruction and supervision to ensure that health and safety is effectively managed and continuously improved.
Managers are responsible for:
Ensuring that risk assessments are completed, recorded and implemented for storage facilities, handling operations and removal services.
Maintaining safe systems of work for lifting, carrying, loading, unloading, driving and on-site manoeuvring of vehicles.
Ensuring that employees and contractors receive suitable training and are competent for the tasks they perform.
Promoting a culture in which safety concerns and near misses are reported promptly and addressed constructively.
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 all safety instructions, site rules, procedures and training provided.
Use equipment, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects immediately.
Report hazards, unsafe conditions, incidents and near misses so that corrective action can be taken.
Cooperate with management in implementing this policy and any associated arrangements.
Customer and Visitor Responsibilities
Customers and visitors using our storage facilities or attending our site must follow all safety signage, instructions given by staff and agreed access procedures. This includes:
Driving with care on site, adhering to designated routes, speed limits and parking areas.
Using keys, access codes and security devices responsibly and not allowing unauthorised persons to enter restricted areas.
Taking care when lifting, carrying or moving stored items and asking for assistance from our team when required.
Reporting any observed hazards or incidents to a member of staff as soon as possible.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
We carry out regular risk assessments covering storage units, common areas, loading bays, access routes, offices and any other operational spaces. Particular attention is given to:
Manual handling risks associated with lifting, carrying, loading and unloading items into storage units and vehicles.
Use of trolleys, lifting aids and equipment to minimise strain and reduce the risk of injury.
Vehicle movements, including reversing, loading dock operations and the interface between vehicles and pedestrians.
Fire safety, including the control of ignition sources, housekeeping standards and safe storage of permitted items.
Findings from risk assessments are used to develop and maintain safe systems of work, which are communicated to employees and, where relevant, to customers and contractors.
Manual Handling and Moving Items
Given the nature of storage and removal activities, manual handling is a key area of focus. Storage Grahame Park will:
Provide guidance and training on safe lifting techniques and team lifting where appropriate.
Encourage the use of trolleys, dollies and other handling aids for heavy, bulky or awkward loads.
Discourage customers and staff from attempting to move items that are beyond their physical capability or that present an obvious risk.
Plan removal and loading activities to minimise the need for excessive lifting and carrying and to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls.
Vehicles, Transport and Site Traffic
We recognise the risks associated with vehicle movements in and around our premises. To manage these risks we will:
Designate areas for loading, unloading, customer parking and staff parking wherever practicable.
Encourage drivers to follow safe driving practices at all times, including adherence to speed limits and use of hazard warning lights when reversing or manoeuvring.
Maintain our vehicles and handling equipment in a safe condition, and remove defective equipment from use until it is repaired or replaced.
Workplace Environment and Housekeeping
We will maintain our premises in a clean, orderly and safe condition. This includes:
Keeping walkways, stairways and emergency exits free from obstructions.
Ensuring lighting is adequate in corridors, aisles, stairwells, loading bays and units.
Managing waste promptly and safely to prevent slips, trips and fire hazards.
Monitoring storage unit usage to prevent unsafe stacking or overloading of items that could lead to falls or structural damage.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
Storage Grahame Park maintains appropriate fire safety measures, including alarms, clearly marked escape routes and fire-fighting equipment where required. All occupants must familiarise themselves with:
The location of emergency exits and assembly points.
Instructions for raising the alarm in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Prohibited items and activities that could increase the risk of fire, such as storing flammable substances or using open flames.
Regular checks will be carried out on emergency systems and equipment, and evacuation procedures will be reviewed periodically.
Training, Information and Supervision
Employees will receive health and safety training appropriate to their role, including induction training, task-specific instruction and refresher training as needed. Information will be shared about site rules, hazards, safe working practices and emergency procedures.
Supervisors will monitor compliance with safety requirements and address unsafe behaviour or conditions promptly and fairly.
Contractors and Third Parties
Contractors working on our premises must comply with this policy and any additional safety requirements specific to their activities. Contractors are expected to:
Provide risk assessments and method statements where applicable.
Use safe systems of work and appropriate protective equipment.
Coordinate with our management team to ensure that their activities do not put others at risk.
Incident Reporting and Continuous Improvement
All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported and recorded. These reports will be reviewed to identify underlying causes and to implement corrective and preventive measures.
Storage Grahame Park is committed to ongoing improvement in health and safety. We will review performance, consult with staff and take account of customer feedback to refine our procedures and maintain high safety standards across our storage and removal services.
Policy Review
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated where necessary to reflect changes in operations, legislation or best practice. The current version of the policy will be made available to employees, customers, visitors and contractors upon request at our premises.
