Health and Safety Policy — Greenwich Skip Hire

Introduction: This Health and Safety Policy sets out the responsibilities, arrangements and standards that Greenwich Skip Hire adopts across its rubbish company service area to protect employees, contractors, customers and the public. The policy applies to skip hire, waste removal and all associated activities performed by the rubbish removal company and its partners. It outlines how we identify hazards, control risks and promote safe working practices across our skip hire service area.

Purpose and Scope

This policy exists to ensure that all operations within the skip hire company and the wider rubbish collection area are conducted to recognised safety standards. It covers vehicle operations, site loading and unloading, manual handling, hazardous waste segregation, and temporary site management. The aim is to reduce incidents, maintain compliance and foster a safety-first culture without excessive local detail.

Legal and Managerial Responsibilities

Management will maintain and review systems to meet applicable health and safety obligations. All staff have a duty to follow safe systems of work and report safety concerns. The company will ensure that contractors and third-party providers engaged in the rubbish company service area understand and comply with this policy. Key responsibilities include:

• Risk assessment and control measures for site activities
• Provision and maintenance of vehicles, skips and PPE
• Training and supervision for safe handling of waste
• Accident reporting and investigation procedures

We will document and review risk assessments for each type of operation in the skip hire service area, with emphasis on common hazards such as manual handling, vehicle movements, falls from height, exposure to hazardous materials and adverse weather. Controls include safe systems of work, appropriate PPE, vehicle banks for loading, and clearly marked site boundaries. All measures are designed to be proportionate and effective for a rubbish removal service area.

Training, Competence and Communication — Staff competence is essential. We provide induction training for new recruits, refresher training for existing employees and role-specific instruction for drivers and loaders. Communication channels will include toolbox talks, site briefings and written instructions so that everyone in the rubbish collection area knows the risks and controls. Supervision will be maintained according to task complexity and worker experience.

Operational Controls and Safe Systems

Safe work procedures will be used for all routine and non-routine tasks. These procedures include: vehicle pre-start checks, secure loading to prevent spillage, segregation of recyclable and hazardous materials, secure storage of waste on site, and prohibitions on unauthorised tipping. The skip hire company will use standard safe loading zones and implement traffic management measures where required.

Emergency Preparedness: The company will maintain emergency plans that cover vehicle incidents, spill response, fires and medical emergencies. First aid provision and spill kits will be available where required. Emergency arrangements are tested periodically and communicated to staff working in the rubbish removal service area.

Monitoring, Reporting and Continual Improvement

We monitor health and safety performance through inspections, incident investigations and performance indicators such as near-miss reports and training completion rates. All incidents in the skip hire service area will be investigated to identify root causes and corrective actions. Lessons learned are shared across teams to prevent recurrence and to support continual improvement of the waste management service area.

Contractors and Subcontracted Work — Contractors engaged by Greenwich Skip Hire must demonstrate adequate health and safety arrangements before works commence. This includes method statements, risk assessments and evidence of training. The company retains the right to suspend operations where contractor performance compromises safety within the rubbish company service area.

Health surveillance, where applicable, will be provided for roles with identified exposures and recorded in line with occupational health requirements. Personal protective equipment will be supplied, maintained and replaced as necessary; employees must wear PPE as instructed by supervisors and risk assessments. Behavioural safety is encouraged: staff are expected to challenge unsafe acts and suggest improvements.

Policy Review and Ownership: This policy is owned by senior management and is reviewed at least annually or following significant change, incident or legislative update. It is the responsibility of every worker within the skip hire and rubbish removal company service area to read, understand and comply with this policy. Commitment to health and safety is integral to delivering safe, reliable and responsible waste services.