Business Waste Removal Haringey — Health & Safety Policy

This Health & Safety Policy sets out the principles, responsibilities and procedures for safe operation of our business waste and commercial rubbish services across the company service area. The policy applies to all staff, contractors and representatives involved in waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal. It is intended to ensure legal compliance, reduce risk and protect employees, clients and the public from harm while delivering responsible rubbish collection and waste removal services.

All employees are expected to cooperate with the policy and to actively promote a culture of safety. The company will maintain documented risk assessments, safe systems of work and updated operational procedures for every aspect of our rubbish company service area activities. Training, supervision and communication are mandatory elements that support safe operations and continuous improvement. Management retains ultimate accountability for implementation and enforcement.

This policy covers identification of hazards, control of risks, use of personal protective equipment, vehicle safety, manual handling, segregation of waste streams and the safe handling of hazardous materials. The company will apply a hierarchy of controls — elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE — to reduce workplace risks. All operational changes that affect health and safety shall be risk-assessed prior to implementation.

Responsibilities and Authority

The Director holds overall responsibility for health and safety compliance and will ensure sufficient resources are allocated. Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for day-to-day enforcement of safe working procedures, monitoring staff competence, and reporting incidents. Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others, to follow safe systems of work and to report hazards, near misses and accidents promptly.

Contractors and subcontractors engaged to provide services within our rubbish removal service area must demonstrate appropriate health and safety arrangements and co-operate with site-specific controls. The company will vet contractors' safety records and require evidence of relevant training, insurance and method statements where appropriate. Unsafe work will be stopped until adequate controls are in place.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems

Risk assessments shall be documented, reviewed periodically and updated after any incident or change in operations. Assessments will consider manual handling, working at height, traffic management, vehicle loading/unloading, waste segregation, and exposure to biological, chemical or sharps hazards. Safe systems of work and method statements will be issued for high-risk tasks and made available to all staff. Training records and competency checks will be maintained.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) suitable for the task must be provided and used where elimination or engineering controls are insufficient. Typical PPE includes high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety boots, eye protection and respiratory protection as required when handling dust, fumes or hazardous substances. Employees required to use PPE will receive fitting and maintenance guidance. Failure to wear required PPE may result in disciplinary action.

The company maintains procedures for safe vehicle operations that include daily vehicle checks, load security, driver hours compliance and pre-operational inspections. Vehicles used for rubbish collection and commercial waste removal must be maintained in a roadworthy condition and drivers provided with appropriate training on load handling and defensive driving. Mechanical aids will be used where practicable to reduce manual handling risks.

Emergency procedures are established for spill response, fire, injury and significant contamination events. First aid provision will meet regulatory requirements and emergency contact procedures will be displayed on vehicles and in operational depots. All incidents, regardless of severity, must be reported and investigated to identify root causes and preventive actions. Lessons learned will be shared to prevent recurrence.

Waste segregation and hazardous waste management are critical to safety and environmental compliance. Staff will be trained to identify and segregate recyclable, non-hazardous and hazardous wastes. Hazardous materials, including batteries, aerosols, chemicals and sharps, will be handled only by trained personnel using designated containment and labeling. The company will ensure that hazardous waste is stored, transported and disposed of in accordance with applicable regulations and licensed facilities.

Monitoring and performance review will be carried out through regular audits, workplace inspections and safety meetings. Key performance indicators will include incident rates, near-miss reports, training completion, vehicle maintenance compliance and corrective action closure times. Management will review health and safety performance annually and update this policy as required to reflect changes in legislation, operations or industry best practice.

Training and competency are essential: induction, task-specific training, refresher courses and toolbox talks will be provided to all employees. Records of training and qualifications will be retained. The company will promote awareness of safe manual handling techniques, correct use of mechanical aids and safe approaches to dealing with unknown or non-conforming waste found during collections in the rubbish company service area.

Communication of this policy is mandatory; it will be made available to all employees and affected contractors and will be displayed at operational depots. Queries about this policy, requests for clarification or suggestions for improvement should be raised through supervisory channels. The company commits to consult with staff on matters affecting health and safety and to provide mechanisms for worker participation.

Disciplinary procedures exist for breaches of safety rules, but the company also recognises positive reinforcement. Safe working behaviour will be acknowledged and reinforced through recognition schemes. Continuous improvement will be driven by proactive risk management, regular review of control measures and timely implementation of corrective actions.

By adhering to this Health & Safety Policy, our commercial rubbish collection and business waste removal operations will deliver reliable, compliant and safe services across the service area. This policy is endorsed by senior management and will be reviewed at least annually to ensure ongoing effectiveness and alignment with legal requirements and operational needs.