Storage Belmont Health and Safety Policy
Storage Belmont is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our employees, customers, contractors, and visitors. This policy sets out our approach to managing health and safety risks across our storage facilities and removal operations, including loading, unloading, handling, and transporting goods.
We aim to prevent accidents, injuries, and work-related ill health by identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing effective control measures. Health and safety is a core part of how we operate and is integral to the quality of service we provide.
Policy Objectives
The objectives of this Health and Safety Policy are to:
Promote a culture where health and safety is everyone’s responsibility and is considered in all planning and decision making.
Comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards for storage and removals.
Prevent accidents, near misses, and occupational ill health by systematically identifying and managing risks.
Provide safe working conditions, equipment, vehicles, and systems of work for all tasks, including lifting, packing, and transporting goods.
Ensure all employees receive appropriate information, instruction, supervision, and training to work safely.
Review and improve our health and safety practices on a regular basis.
Management Responsibilities
Senior management at Storage Belmont holds overall responsibility for health and safety. Management will:
Set clear health and safety standards for both storage and removals activities and lead by example in following them.
Provide adequate resources to implement this policy, including training, maintenance, and protective equipment.
Ensure that risk assessments are carried out, kept up to date, and that control measures are implemented and monitored.
Maintain safe systems of work for loading and unloading, use of handling equipment, and vehicle movements.
Investigate accidents, incidents, and near misses to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
Consult with employees and, where applicable, contractors on matters affecting their health and safety.
Employee Responsibilities
Employees at Storage Belmont share responsibility for maintaining a safe workplace. All employees must:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.
Follow all health and safety procedures, signage, and instructions applicable to storage units, warehouses, and removal operations.
Use tools, vehicles, lifting equipment, and personal protective equipment properly and report any defects immediately.
Report hazards, unsafe conditions, accidents, and near misses without delay to a supervisor or manager.
Participate in health and safety training and cooperate with any risk control measures introduced.
Safe Working Environment
Storage Belmont will maintain a safe working environment by:
Ensuring walkways, loading areas, aisles, and stairways are kept clear, well lit, and free from obstructions.
Maintaining storage areas to reduce the risk of slips, trips, falls, and collisions with equipment or vehicles.
Implementing safe stacking and racking practices so that goods are stored securely and at safe heights.
Controlling access to operational areas so that only authorised and trained personnel enter restricted zones.
Providing welfare facilities that are clean, hygienic, and adequately maintained.
Handling, Lifting and Removals
Much of our work involves lifting, carrying, loading, and unloading goods as part of storage and removal services. To manage these specific risks, Storage Belmont will:
Conduct manual handling risk assessments for typical items and tasks encountered during removals and storage work.
Provide mechanical aids such as trolleys and lifting equipment where reasonably practicable to reduce manual handling.
Train staff in safe lifting techniques, team lifting, and the correct use of handling equipment and vehicle ramps.
Plan removal jobs to minimise unnecessary lifting, twisting, or carrying over long distances.
Ensure vehicles are loaded and secured correctly to prevent shifting loads and reduce risks during transit.
Vehicles and Traffic Management
For activities involving movement of vehicles and goods on and off site, Storage Belmont will:
Maintain vehicles and loading equipment in a safe, roadworthy, and efficient condition.
Implement site rules for vehicle movements, including speed limits and designated loading zones.
Use clear signage and, where appropriate, barriers or markings to separate pedestrian and vehicle routes.
Require drivers and loaders to follow safe procedures for reversing, parking, and coupling or uncoupling equipment.
Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Storage Belmont will take all reasonable steps to reduce fire risks and ensure effective emergency response by:
Carrying out and regularly reviewing fire risk assessments across storage areas and operational spaces.
Providing and maintaining suitable fire detection, alarm, and firefighting equipment.
Clearly marking emergency exits, escape routes, and assembly points, keeping them unobstructed at all times.
Ensuring employees are trained in emergency procedures, including evacuation and raising the alarm.
Conducting periodic drills to test emergency readiness and updating procedures based on lessons learned.
Training and Communication
Storage Belmont recognises that competent and informed staff are essential to safe operations. We will:
Provide induction training for new employees, covering key health and safety rules, site layout, and emergency procedures.
Deliver job-specific training for tasks such as manual handling, working at height, and operation of equipment used in storage and removals.
Refresh training periodically and when there are significant changes to work practices, equipment, or legislation.
Communicate health and safety information via briefings, notices, and ongoing discussions with staff.
Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
Storage Belmont is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance. To support this, we will:
Monitor health and safety performance through inspections, audits, incident reports, and feedback from staff and customers.
Review this Health and Safety Policy regularly to ensure it remains suitable, adequate, and effective.
Update procedures and working practices in response to changes in operations, technology, or legal requirements.
Encourage suggestions for improvement from employees and act on reasonable recommendations.
This Health and Safety Policy applies to all parts of Storage Belmont and to all individuals who may be affected by our storage and removal services. Everyone is expected to cooperate in its implementation and to help create a safe environment for work and service delivery.
