Hornsey Skip Hire Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy sets out the commitment of Hornsey Skip Hire to maintain safe operations across our rubbish company service area. The document is designed to protect employees, contractors, customers and members of the public wherever we operate, ensuring that waste removal, skip hire and rubbish collection activities are carried out with due regard for health, safety and environmental protection. The policy describes responsibilities, risk controls and the approach to continual improvement that governs our daily work in waste management and skip services.

Scope and application: this policy applies to all aspects of our rubbish removal and skip hire operations, including depot activities, site deliveries, vehicle movements and manual handling of loads. It covers all personnel engaged by the skip hire company, whether employed directly or contracted. Hornsey Skip Hire will ensure that adequate resources are available to meet health and safety obligations and that managers and supervisors are held accountable for implementation. The policy also supports compliance with applicable statutory requirements and recognised industry good practice.

Legal and regulatory compliance: we will comply with relevant health and safety and waste management legislation and the duties placed on waste carriers and waste management businesses. Risk assessment and method statements will be prepared for operational activities, and control measures will be implemented to reduce hazards. Key operational controls include vehicle safety checks, secure load restraint, provision of appropriate personal protective equipment, and safe systems for skip placement and collection.

Responsibilities and Accountability

Management has overall responsibility for health and safety and will provide clear leadership, resources and monitoring. Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for day-to-day compliance, ensuring staff are trained and competent to perform rubbish collection, skip handling and waste removal tasks safely. Employees are required to follow safe working practices, report defects or unsafe conditions, and participate in safety training. All personnel must be proactive in identifying risks and cooperating with safety initiatives.

Training and competence are essential to safe operations. We will provide induction training, job-specific instruction and refresher courses covering manual handling, vehicle operation, hazardous materials awareness and emergency procedures. Particular emphasis is placed on safe loading of skips, the correct segregation of recyclable and non-recyclable materials, and procedures to identify and manage hazardous or prohibited waste. Records of training and competence assessments will be maintained as part of our safety management system.

Operational Controls and Safe Systems

Vehicle safety, maintenance and driver competence: all commercial vehicles used for skip delivery and rubbish removal will be maintained, inspected and operated in accordance with manufacturer guidance and legal requirements. Safe access and egress procedures, seat belt use and secure load practices are mandatory. Manual handling controls include mechanical aids where practicable, safe lifting techniques and limits on individual handling tasks. Permit to work arrangements will be used for higher risk activities.

Contractors and third parties: where contractors are engaged to provide services, they must demonstrate adequate health and safety arrangements and cooperate with our site rules. We will check competence, review method statements and ensure that subcontracted personnel work under defined controls. Incident reporting and investigation procedures will apply equally to contractors to ensure lessons are learned and corrective actions are implemented.

Hazardous materials, segregation and prohibited items: the skip hire service requires robust controls for the identification and handling of hazardous wastes. Personnel must not accept or transport substances that present unacceptable risk unless specifically authorised and suitably prepared. Items expressly prohibited from regular skips include the following:

• Asbestos-containing materials and friable asbestos
• Chemicals and solvents with hazardous classification
• Gas cylinders, compressed or pressurised containers without prior arrangement
• Large quantities of liquids, batteries or contaminated soils

Emergency preparedness and incident management: clear procedures are in place for dealing with spills, fires, injuries and other emergencies. All staff will be trained in immediate response actions, how to summon assistance, and how to preserve incident scenes for investigation. Accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences will be reported promptly, investigated to identify root causes, and corrective actions will be tracked to completion to prevent recurrence. Continuous improvement is driven by regular review of incidents and audit findings.

Monitoring, review and performance measurement: Hornsey Skip Hire will monitor health and safety performance through audits, inspections, toolbox talks and performance indicators such as incident frequency, training completion and vehicle defect rates. Health and safety objectives will be set, reviewed and updated annually or where operational changes dictate. Senior management will undertake periodic reviews of this policy to ensure it remains suitable, adequate and effective across the rubbish company service area.

Communication and consultation: this policy will be communicated to all employees and made available to relevant stakeholders. Safety briefings, notices and documented procedures will support implementation and ensure that everyone understands their roles. We will consult employees on matters affecting their health and safety and encourage reporting of hazards and suggestions for improvement through established workplace channels.

Policy commitment: Hornsey Skip Hire is committed to preventing work-related injury and ill health and to minimising risks associated with skip hire, waste removal and rubbish collection operations. This policy is endorsed by senior management and shall be implemented, maintained and continually improved. All staff are expected to support and comply with this policy in daily operations.