Health and Safety Policy — Soho Skip Hire

Statement of intent: Soho Skip Hire is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of staff, contractors, customers and members of the public who may be affected by our skip hire and rubbish collection activities. This document sets out our health and safety policy for skip hire, rubbish removal and associated waste handling operations. Our aim is to maintain safe working conditions and to ensure that all waste management and skip services are delivered with the minimum risk to people, property and the environment.

We will meet this commitment by allocating the necessary resources, ensuring effective safety management systems, and promoting continuous improvement. The policy covers all skip hire services, vehicle operations and on-site waste handling. Every employee and contractor engaged in our waste collection and disposal activities must understand and comply with this policy, exercising appropriate care, using required personal protective equipment and following safe working procedures.

Scope and application

This policy applies to all aspects of our rubbish company operations, including skip delivery and collection, site loading, transfer and temporary storage of waste, segregation of materials, and any ancillary works such as site preparation and traffic management. It applies to full-time and part-time staff, agency operatives, subcontractors and visitors who attend operational sites or depots. The approach is aligned with relevant health and safety legislation and waste regulations, and will be reviewed regularly to remain current.

Responsibilities

Senior management has overall responsibility for health and safety and will ensure effective policies, procedures and systems are in place. Operational managers must implement these systems and allocate appropriate resources. Employees are required to follow instructions, use safe systems of work, report hazards and incidents, and participate in any training provided. Soho Skip Hire expects all personnel to demonstrate safe behaviour and to raise concerns promptly.

Risk assessment and control measures

We will conduct and maintain documented risk assessments for all routine and foreseeable activities, including vehicle movements, manual handling, use of lifting equipment, loading and unloading skips, handling hazardous materials and working at customer premises. Controls will include formal safe systems of work, permit-to-work where appropriate, segregation of incompatible wastes, traffic management plans, and provision of appropriate mechanical aids to reduce manual handling risks.

Core control measures include:

• Pre-site risk assessment and access checks before skip placement.
• Use of PPE such as gloves, boots, hi-vis clothing and eye protection.
• Vehicle and equipment maintenance schedules to ensure roadworthiness and safe operation.
• Safe loading limits to prevent overloading and instability of skips.

Training and competence are central to our safety strategy. All staff involved in waste collection, skip handling and vehicle operations will receive appropriate induction, job-specific training and periodic refresher courses. Training covers safe manual handling, use of lifting equipment, hazardous waste recognition, spill response and emergency procedures. Supervisors will monitor competence and provide coaching to maintain standards. Where specialist wastes are present, only trained and authorised personnel will handle them.

Vehicle, site and public safety

Vehicle safety is a priority: drivers must comply with loading checks, route planning, vehicle checks and safe reversing procedures. We will implement site exclusion zones, pedestrian controls and clear signage at customer sites and depots. All site activities will consider public safety and aim to minimise disruption. Traffic marshals or controls will be used where necessary to protect pedestrians and road users during skip deliveries and collections.

Hazardous waste, segregation and disposal

Soho Skip Hire will not accept hazardous or controlled wastes unless explicitly authorised and handled in line with waste legislation and company procedures. Where hazardous materials are suspected, staff will isolate the load and notify management for assessment. Segregation of recyclable materials from general rubbish is encouraged to reduce environmental impact. We will use authorised transfer stations and disposal routes to ensure wastes are managed responsibly and traceably.

Incident reporting, investigation and corrective action: all incidents, near misses and safety observations must be reported immediately and recorded. Investigations will identify root causes and result in corrective actions and lessons learned to prevent recurrence. Emergency response procedures will be maintained and tested, including spill control, fire response and liaison with emergency services.

Monitoring and review: the effectiveness of this policy will be monitored through audits, inspections and performance indicators such as incident rates and training completion. Management will review the policy at planned intervals and following any significant change to operations or applicable regulations. Records of risk assessments, training, maintenance and incident investigations will be retained to demonstrate compliance and support continuous improvement.

Policy endorsement: this policy represents the formal health and safety position of Soho Skip Hire in relation to skip hire, rubbish removal and waste collection activities. It should be made available to all staff and relevant stakeholders. The company is committed to maintaining these standards and expects every individual involved in our operations to contribute to a safe working environment.