Forest Hill Skip Hire - Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy sets out the commitment of Forest Hill Skip Hire to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors, visitors and the public while operating as a rubbish company service area and skip hire provider. The purpose of this policy is to define responsibilities, establish safe working procedures and ensure compliance with applicable health and safety principles for all aspects of our waste collection and skip hire service operations. Our objective is to minimise risk, prevent injury and control hazards associated with waste handling, vehicle movements and site operations.

Forest Hill Skip Hire operates as a skip hire company and waste removal company with responsibilities to maintain high standards of safety across the entire rubbish collection area. Management will ensure adequate resources are allocated to training, equipment and monitoring. All staff are expected to cooperate and take reasonable care of themselves and others. This policy is a living document and will be reviewed regularly to reflect changes in operations or emerging risks.

Scope: This policy covers activities such as skip delivery and collection, on-site waste handling, vehicle loading, transfer of waste, storage, segregation and routine maintenance. It applies to permanent and temporary employees, agency staff, drivers, contractors and any persons affected by our operations in the rubbish collection area. It is applicable to all work locations, including client sites, material transfer areas and any public-facing locations where our waste management service is provided.

Responsibilities

Senior management will ensure health and safety standards are embedded in business planning. Responsibilities include: maintaining risk assessments, ensuring safe systems of work, providing suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring all operatives are trained and competent for their roles in the waste management service. Supervisors must implement procedures and monitor compliance.

Employees and Contractors

All personnel must: report hazards and incidents promptly, follow safe working procedures for rubbish removal and skip operations, use PPE correctly, and participate in training. Operators must ensure skips are loaded safely and vehicles are secured before transit. Drivers are responsible for safe vehicle operation within our service area and for ensuring loads comply with legal carriage requirements.

Forest Hill Skip Hire requires everyone to adopt a proactive approach to safety. Regular toolbox talks, refresher training and competence checks will be used to reinforce safe behaviours. Non-compliance with safety procedures may lead to disciplinary action or removal from site duties to protect individuals and the public.

Risk Assessment and Controls: We will conduct systematic risk assessments for routine and non-routine activities, including manual handling of waste, interaction with hazardous materials, vehicle manoeuvres and site access control. Controls will include engineered solutions, administrative measures, PPE and clear segregation of pedestrian and vehicle areas in any rubbish company service area where operations occur.

Key control measures:

• Safe systems of work and method statements for skip loading and waste transfer.
• Provision and maintenance of appropriate PPE, including gloves, high-visibility clothing and safety footwear.
• Vehicle checks, load securement protocols and driver fitness assessments.
• Clear signage, barriers and traffic management where public interfaces exist.

Hazardous Waste: Where hazardous or potentially hazardous materials are identified, work must stop and the situation reported to management. Hazardous waste will be segregated, stored and transported in compliance with relevant controls. Only trained personnel will handle such materials and material safety data will be available where applicable.

Incident Reporting and Investigation

All accidents, near misses and unsafe conditions must be reported immediately. An investigation process will determine root causes and corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Records of incidents and investigations will be retained and reviewed as part of continuous improvement of our skip hire service and rubbish removal activities.

First Aid and Emergency Procedures

Adequate first aid provision and trained first aiders will be available relative to the scale of operations. Emergency procedures, including spill response, fire precautions and vehicle incident plans, are in place and communicated to all staff. Evacuation routes and assembly points will be established at fixed sites and explained before work commences at client locations.

Training and Competence: We commit to delivering relevant training for all roles, including induction, manual handling, vehicle safety, hazardous materials awareness and job-specific qualifications where required. Competence assessment will ensure our workforce can deliver safe rubbish collection and skip hire services across our service area. Ongoing development will be planned and recorded for audit and verification.

Monitoring and review: Management will audit compliance with this Health and Safety Policy through inspections, performance metrics and management reviews. Where deficiencies are identified, corrective actions will be implemented promptly. The policy will be reviewed at least annually or following significant operational change, incident or legislative update to ensure it remains effective for the rubbish removal company and skip hire service.

Conclusion: Forest Hill Skip Hire is committed to providing a safe working environment and protecting the public in all areas where our waste management and rubbish collection activities take place. Everyone involved in our operations must understand and apply this policy to achieve continuous improvement in safety performance.

Signed on behalf of Forest Hill Skip Hire: Management Team