Health and Safety Policy — Earls Court House Clearance

Earls Court House Clearance is committed to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety across all house clearance, rubbish removal and waste clearance services. This policy explains our approach to preventing harm, protecting employees, contractors and the public, and ensuring that all clearance activities are delivered safely and responsibly. It applies to every role engaged in house clearance operations and to our broader rubbish company services, including domestic and commercial clearances and transport of waste to licensed facilities.

We will comply with applicable health and safety legislation and adopt recognised best practice for clearance and waste management operations. The policy establishes clear expectations for safe working, hazard identification and control, and continuous improvement. Our commitment extends to ensuring safe vehicle operations, secure handling of bulky items, and appropriate disposal of general waste, recyclable materials and any potentially hazardous items encountered during a clearance.

Roles and responsibilities are defined so that accountability for safety is clear. Senior management retains overall responsibility for implementing and resourcing this policy, while supervisors and team leaders manage on-site safety and ensure compliance with safe systems of work. Every operative engaged in a clearance job must follow instructions, use issued safety equipment and report unsafe conditions. We require that contractors and temporary staff conform to the same standards as our direct teams to maintain consistent safety across all rubbish removal workstreams.

We perform documented risk assessments for each job and maintain up-to-date hazard registers that reflect the wide variety of situations encountered in house clearance and waste removal. Typical hazards assessed include manual handling of heavy or awkward items, broken glass and sharps, potential asbestos or chemical residues, electrical hazards, slips and trips, vehicle movements, and working in confined spaces such as lofts or basements. Assessments determine proportionate control measures and actions to protect people and property.

We apply the hierarchy of controls to reduce risk: eliminate hazards where possible, substitute with safer alternatives, apply engineering controls, implement administrative controls and provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Practical controls include mechanical lifting aids, safe stacking and load restraint for transport, segregation of waste streams, clear signage, and site exclusion zones to separate operatives from members of the public. These measures help our rubbish company teams deliver a reliable and safe clearance service.

Safe systems of work are documented for all higher-risk tasks and are reviewed after any significant change, near-miss or incident. Communication of controls is achieved through pre-job briefings, toolbox talks and written task instructions. The company provides adequate and suitable PPE and ensures employees are trained in correct use. We emphasise correct manual handling techniques and the safe use of hand tools, trolleys and lifting equipment to minimise musculoskeletal injuries during clearance jobs.

All incidents, accidents and near-misses that occur during house clearance or rubbish removal activities must be reported immediately in accordance with our incident reporting procedure. Reports are investigated to identify root causes and to put corrective actions in place. We maintain records of incidents and corrective actions and review trends to inform training updates and operational changes. Statutory notifications are made where required and cooperation with regulatory authorities is maintained throughout any investigation.

Regular inspections, internal audits and vehicle checks are conducted to verify compliance with this policy. Performance is monitored through key indicators such as incident rates, number of near-miss reports, completion of required training, and outcomes from toolbox talks. We promote a culture in which employees are encouraged to report hazards and suggest improvements without fear of reprisal. Lessons learned are shared across teams to raise standards in waste clearance and rubbish collection operations.

Our ongoing commitments to health and safety include:

• Proactive risk management to prevent harm during every clearance job;
• Maintaining competence through structured training, induction and supervision;
• Safe operations achieved by documented procedures and regular reviews;
• Continuous improvement driven by audits, incident analysis and team feedback.

This policy is owned by senior management and is reviewed at least annually or sooner where operational changes or new legislation require. It is communicated to all staff, contractors and relevant stakeholders to ensure consistent application across all house clearance and rubbish removal services.