Crystal Palace House Clearance - Health & Safety Policy
Crystal Palace House Clearance is committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees, contractors and the public while delivering professional rubbish removal services and house clearance work. This policy outlines responsibilities, risk controls and operational standards that apply across our rubbish company service area and to all types of waste handling and clearance assignments. We will comply with applicable legislation and adopt best practice suitable for a waste removal company and clearance provider.Scope and objectives
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that hazards are identified, risks are assessed and that reasonable measures are taken to prevent injury, ill health or damage during any clearance, junk removal or rubbish collection service. We will: reduce risks, promote safe systems of work, and continually improve performance. All staff and appointed contractors must read and follow this policy.
All personnel have a duty to cooperate with safety arrangements. Management will provide leadership, resources and training to enable safe work. Supervisors are responsible for implementing safe operating procedures on site and in the field. Employees must use PPE provided, report hazards immediately and refuse to undertake tasks they reasonably believe to be unsafe until controls are in place. This applies to domestic, commercial and communal clearance jobs across our rubbish removal service area.
Risk assessment and safe systems
We will carry out and record site-specific risk assessments prior to work starting. Assessments will consider manual handling, slips/trips/falls, sharps, glass and hazardous materials such as batteries, oils, chemicals and potential asbestos. Controls will include mechanical aids, team lifts, exclusion zones and safe segregation of waste streams for a responsible waste removal company approach to recycling and disposal.
Operational controls include vehicle safety checks, secure load restraints, traffic management when operating kerbside, and clear communication with householders or site managers. Where specialist removal is required for hazardous items we will use suitably licensed carriers and follow established procedures for containment, labelling and documentation.
Personal protective equipment and manual handling
Wearing appropriate PPE is mandatory: gloves, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear, and other task-specific protection. Manual handling tasks will be avoided where mechanical aids can be used; when manual lifting is unavoidable, team-lift techniques and training must be applied. Employees will receive instruction on safe lifting, posture and the use of carrying aids on all house clearance and rubbish collection assignments.Controls for waste segregation and storage form a core part of our environmental and safety arrangements. The following measures are included in operational plans and job briefings:
- Segregation of general refuse, recyclable materials and hazardous items;
- Use of sealed bins or sacks for contaminated materials and sharps;
- Secure short-term storage to prevent access by unauthorised persons or animals;
- Documentation of waste transfer notes for regulated waste streams handled by our waste removal company teams.
Transport and vehicle safety obligations include daily checks, vehicle load limits, safe loading/unloading zones and adherence to road traffic regulations. Drivers and loaders will be trained in load restraint and safe egress. Regular vehicle maintenance and inspection records form part of our compliance regime for any rubbish collection service area operations.
Emergency arrangements, first aid provision and incident reporting are mandatory. All incidents, near misses and accidents must be reported promptly and investigated to identify root causes and corrective actions. Records will be retained and used to inform future training and policy updates. We will appoint first aiders and ensure access to medical support where needed.
Training and competence are essential. Induction, periodic refresher training, and on-the-job coaching will be provided to ensure competence for waste handlers, drivers and supervisors. Toolbox talks and briefings will be used to communicate job-specific risks before each clearance and during multi-day projects in our rubbish collection service area.
Contractor and subcontractor management requires that third parties supplying services or equipment to Crystal Palace House Clearance comply with this policy and demonstrate appropriate insurance, licences and competence. Audits and checks will be carried out to confirm ongoing compliance with our standards and the expectations of a professional clearance and rubbish removal service provider.
We will monitor performance through inspections, audits and review of incident data. This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner following a significant incident, change in legislation or operational change. The review process supports continuous improvement so our house clearance service and rubbish removal operations remain safe, lawful and effective.