Self Storage Wandsworth Health and Safety Policy
This Health and Safety policy sets out the principles, responsibilities and arrangements in place at Self Storage Wandsworth to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors, customers, visitors and any other persons who may be affected by our storage and associated removal support activities.
We are committed to maintaining safe and secure storage facilities and to working safely with removal companies and other third parties who access our premises in connection with moving, loading and unloading goods.
Policy Statement
Self Storage Wandsworth is committed to providing and maintaining, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe and healthy environment. Our aim is to prevent accidents, work related ill health, damage to property and harm to the environment arising from our operations.
We will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards relating to storage premises, manual handling, traffic management, fire safety, and the use of work equipment. We will ensure that risks associated with self storage activities and interactions with removal services are assessed, controlled and regularly reviewed.
Management Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for health and safety at Self Storage Wandsworth rests with the company management. Management will:
Provide and maintain safe storage facilities, including units, corridors, loading bays, lifts and car park or yard areas used by customers and removal teams.
Ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments are carried out for activities on site, including loading and unloading vehicles, use of trolleys and manual handling of goods.
Provide clear health and safety information, instruction and, where appropriate, training to employees and relevant contractors.
Ensure that emergency procedures, including fire evacuation and incident response, are established, communicated and periodically tested.
Consult with workers and, where appropriate, contractors regarding health and safety matters affecting them.
Monitor the effectiveness of this policy through inspections, incident investigations and periodic policy reviews.
Employee Responsibilities
All employees share a duty of care to themselves and to others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. Employees are required to:
Work safely at all times and follow the instructions, training and procedures issued by management.
Use equipment, tools, trolleys and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects or damage immediately.
Cooperate with management on health and safety matters, including attendance at briefings and participation in drills.
Report accidents, incidents, near misses, hazards or unsafe conditions without delay so appropriate action can be taken.
Maintain clear access routes and keep loading and corridor areas free from unnecessary obstruction.
Take particular care when interacting with customers, visitors and removal personnel, ensuring that activities such as vehicle manoeuvring and loading are carried out safely.
Customer and Visitor Responsibilities
Customers and visitors, including removal company personnel working on site, are expected to cooperate with our health and safety arrangements. They must:
Follow any safety instructions and signage displayed on site, including traffic routes, speed restrictions and loading bay rules.
Use equipment such as trolleys and lifts in accordance with instructions and not misuse or interfere with any safety device or system.
Ensure children and vulnerable persons are supervised at all times while on the premises.
Pack and stack goods safely within units to prevent items falling or causing obstruction.
Report hazards, incidents or damage to staff as soon as they become aware of them.
Safe Premises and Equipment
Self Storage Wandsworth will maintain the premises and equipment to ensure they remain safe and fit for purpose. This includes:
Carrying out regular inspections of corridors, stairways, loading bays, ramps, lifts and external areas to identify and remove slip, trip and fall hazards.
Ensuring lighting levels are adequate in storage areas, access routes and loading points to support safe movement and handling of goods.
Maintaining fire detection, alarm and emergency lighting systems and testing them in line with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
Providing and maintaining suitable trolleys and handling aids and removing from service any equipment found to be defective.
Introducing appropriate traffic management measures to reduce the risk of vehicle and pedestrian collisions, especially in areas where removal vehicles operate.
Manual Handling and Loading Activities
Manual handling and loading activities, whether carried out by our staff, customers or removal company teams, present significant risk of injury. To reduce this risk we will:
Encourage the use of mechanical aids, trolleys and shared lifting techniques to avoid unnecessary strain.
Provide employees with guidance on safe lifting practices, including assessing load weight, using correct posture and avoiding twisting while carrying.
Designate appropriate loading and unloading areas to keep vehicle movements controlled and separate from general pedestrian routes wherever possible.
Discourage unsafe practices such as overloading trolleys, blocking walkways with goods or leaving items unattended on ramps and slopes.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
Self Storage Wandsworth will implement and maintain comprehensive fire safety measures and emergency procedures, including:
Clear evacuation plans with marked escape routes, fire doors and assembly points.
Regular checks and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems, extinguishers and emergency lighting.
Prohibition of smoking and use of naked flames within buildings and storage units.
Restrictions on the storage of prohibited or hazardous materials that may create unacceptable fire or health risks.
Staff training in fire safety awareness and incident response, including raising the alarm and assisting with evacuations where safe to do so.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
All accidents, incidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences on our premises must be reported to a member of staff. Management will:
Record details of the incident and any injuries sustained.
Investigate the underlying causes and contributing factors.
Implement corrective actions or additional controls to prevent recurrence.
Review risk assessments and procedures where necessary in light of findings.
Contractors and Removal Companies
Contractors, including removal companies providing services on or to our site, are required to work in a safe manner and comply with this policy and relevant legislation. We will, where appropriate:
Provide information on site rules, hazards and emergency arrangements.
Require contractors to demonstrate that they have their own health and safety arrangements and competent staff.
Monitor contractor activities to ensure they do not put our staff, customers or property at risk.
Training, Consultation and Review
Self Storage Wandsworth will provide appropriate health and safety induction and refresher briefings for employees and will consult with them on significant changes to working practices or site arrangements that may affect safety.
This Health and Safety policy will be reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance, business operations or the findings of inspections and incident investigations. The most current version of the policy will be made available to employees, customers, contractors and other interested parties upon request.
By implementing this policy and consistently applying its principles, Self Storage Wandsworth seeks to ensure a safe and well managed environment for all users of our storage facilities and associated removal support services.
