Archway Skip Hire Health and Safety Policy

Archway Skip Hire is committed to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety across its skip hire and rubbish collection operations within its rubbish company service area. This policy sets out the core principles that govern how we manage risk, protect employees, contractors and the public, and ensure that our waste removal and skip hire activities are conducted safely and legally. The aim is to prevent injury, ill health and environmental harm through clear responsibilities, effective controls and ongoing improvement.

All operations carried out by this skip hire company are subject to systematic risk assessment and control. Risk assessments are carried out for routine tasks including vehicle movements, manual handling, site placement of skips and hazardous material handling. Our approach to risk control follows the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative measures and personal protective equipment. Safety considerations are embedded in planning, scheduling and daily briefings.

Responsibilities and Organisational Arrangements

Management responsibility is clear and documented. The leadership team provides visible commitment to health and safety and allocates sufficient resources to implement this policy. Supervisors oversee compliance on site, while employees and sub-contractors are expected to follow instructions and report hazards. The principal duties include:

Key Duties

• Senior management – set policy, ensure legal compliance and provide resources;
• Managers and supervisors – maintain safe systems of work, conduct local risk assessments and ensure staff competence;
• Employees and contractors – work safely, use PPE and report any unsafe conditions.

Vehicle safety is a central focus for a rubbish collection and skip hire business operating in a busy service area. Vehicles are operated only by trained, licensed drivers; daily pre-use checks are mandatory and documented. Loading and unloading protocols are in place to prevent overloading and to secure loads for transit. Traffic management plans and safe access arrangements apply at customer sites to reduce risks from moving vehicles and pedestrian interactions.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) and manual handling controls are enforced. Staff receive instruction on correct lifting techniques, mechanical aids and team lifts where required. PPE standards include high-visibility clothing, gloves, steel-toe boots and eye protection where tasks present a risk. Specialist PPE is provided for work involving hazardous wastes or sharp objects.

Hazardous materials and environmental protection are managed through strict segregation and containment protocols. Waste types are identified at point of collection and segregated into appropriate containers or skips. Any potentially hazardous or contaminated loads are handled in line with legal requirements and disposed of using authorised outlets. Spill kits and containment measures are available on vehicles and at depots to prevent pollution incidents.

Competence and training form the backbone of our safety management. Induction training covers company procedures, safe systems of work and emergency arrangements. Ongoing training programmes include vehicle safety, manual handling refreshers, hazardous materials awareness and first aid. Records of training and qualifications are maintained to ensure the team remains competent for their duties.

Incident Management, Reporting and Emergency Response

All incidents, near misses and occupational ill-health events are reported and investigated proportionately to identify root causes and corrective actions. Emergency plans cover first aid, fire response, spill response and vehicle incidents. Regular drills and reviews ensure readiness, and learnings are communicated across the organisation to prevent recurrence.

Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement

We conduct planned inspections, internal audits and performance monitoring to confirm compliance and assess effectiveness. Key performance indicators include incident rates, corrective action closure times and completion of scheduled training. Findings drive improvement plans and resource allocation to close any gaps in control measures.

Documentation and record-keeping support accountability. Health and safety records include risk assessments, method statements, vehicle inspection logs, training records and incident investigation reports. These documents are retained and maintained so that progress against safety objectives can be tracked and demonstrated during reviews.

Policy review: this health and safety policy is reviewed annually or following significant changes to operations, new legislation or after a serious incident. The review process ensures the policy remains effective and aligned with the operational realities of a skip hire and rubbish removal organisation operating across its service area. All personnel are notified of updates and provided with any additional training required to implement changes.

This policy is endorsed by the senior management of Archway Skip Hire and represents our commitment to managing health and safety proactively. It applies to all activities carried out by the company in its role as a skip hire and rubbish removal provider and is a fundamental part of our operational planning and risk control framework. We expect every employee and contractor to support these standards and contribute to a safe, compliant and responsible service.