Health & Safety Policy — Rotherhithe House Clearance

This Health and Safety Policy sets out the commitment of Rotherhithe House Clearance to provide a safe environment for staff, clients and members of the public who interact with our rubbish removal service area and related operations. The policy applies to all activities associated with house and property clearance, including waste collection, disposal coordination and customer site visits. Our aim is to minimise risk through clear procedures, regular training and the use of appropriate equipment in every residential clearance and rubbish collection job.

All employees and contractors engaged in waste disposal and clearance tasks are required to follow this policy. Management will ensure that adequate resources are allocated to control hazards in the clearance and removal service area, that risk assessments are maintained and that safety performance is reviewed regularly. Every worker has a duty to report unsafe conditions and to cooperate with control measures. The policy emphasises both prevention and practical response: incident reporting, first aid readiness and emergency procedures are integral to our approach.

Rotherhithe House Clearance operates within a defined service area for rubbish collection and property clearance. We recognise hazards typical to junk removal, such as manual handling injuries, slips and trips, sharps and contaminated materials, vehicle movement and environmental risks. To manage those risks we adopt a hierarchy of control, ensuring risks are eliminated or reduced where reasonably practicable. This includes safe systems of work, mechanical aids for lifting, clear segregation of waste streams and secure storage for hazardous items.

Risk Assessment, Controls and Responsibilities

Risk assessments are carried out for each job type in our clearance and rubbish removal service area and are reviewed periodically or when conditions change. Control measures include:

• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff handling waste
• Toolbox talks and induction for temporary workers
• Signage and cordoning for hazardous zones during clearance

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that assessments remain appropriate and that workers understand and apply the controls.

Training is a key control. Staff receive instruction on manual handling techniques tailored to bulky item removal, safe vehicle loading practices relevant to our house clearance operations, and procedures for dealing with asbestos suspects, electrical items, liquids and medical waste. Employees must not attempt to move unknown or suspect materials without following the correct assessment and isolation steps. Competence is verified through observation and periodic refresher sessions. New workers are supervised until they demonstrate safe, consistent practice.

Vehicle safety and traffic management form a central part of our field operations. Vehicles are maintained to a high standard and operators are trained in safe loading, secure fastening of loads, and adherence to legal weight limits. Where site access is constrained, clear safe walking routes are established and vehicles are parked to reduce interaction with pedestrians. All drivers and operatives must carry out pre-operation checks and report defects immediately.

Operational Procedures and Waste Handling

Safe handling of waste and rubbish is achieved through classification, segregation and correct containment. Sharps, chemicals and other hazardous items are identified and separated from general waste. Our rubbish clearance services use labelled containers and employ industry-accepted disposal routes. We maintain records of controlled waste transfers and ensure that any sub-contracted disposal agents meet regulatory standards for waste management within the broader clearance service area.

Emergency preparedness includes accessible first aid provisions, trained first-aiders on site where operations present a higher risk, and established procedures to summon emergency services. Incident and near-miss reporting is encouraged and forms part of the continuous improvement process. All incidents are investigated, outcomes are shared with staff and corrective actions are implemented to prevent recurrence within our removal and clearance services.

This policy is periodically reviewed to ensure it reflects operational experience, changes to regulation and evolving best practice in the rubbish clearance and household waste service sector. Management will continue to promote a positive safety culture where employees feel empowered to raise concerns and suggest improvements. Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all staff; failure to comply may result in disciplinary action. The policy is not a guide to substitute professional judgment where specialist hazards are identified — specific technical assessments will be carried out when necessary.