Health and Safety Policy — Commercial Waste Turnham Green

Commercial Waste Turnham Green is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all employees, contractors and the public affected by our waste collection service. This policy sets out the standards and arrangements that govern safe operations across our rubbish collection and waste management service area. It applies to all activities associated with commercial rubbish collection, transfer, temporary storage and transport.

Scope: The scope of this policy covers routine commercial waste collections, ad hoc bulky waste removals, containerised collections and cross-site transfers managed by our rubbish company. The policy establishes clear expectations for safe working practices, environmental protection and compliance with relevant statutory duties. It does not replace specific regulations but provides a framework for compliance and continual improvement.

The objectives of this policy are to: minimise risk of injury and illness; prevent damage to property and the environment; ensure safe use of vehicles and plant; and maintain reliable, safe provision of waste services across our defined service area. All operations shall be planned, risk assessed and supervised to minimise hazards associated with commercial waste handling and rubbish removal activities.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Management retains overall responsibility for ensuring the policy is implemented effectively. Managers will ensure resources, training and monitoring systems are in place, and that safe systems of work are documented and followed.

Employees and operatives must follow safe operating procedures, wear required personal protective equipment and report hazards or incidents promptly. Our drivers and collection crews are responsible for vehicle checks, safe loading, correct segregation of commercial rubbish and adherence to route safety protocols.

Contractors and temporary staff engaged to support waste operations must be competent, have valid risk assessments and method statements and comply with this policy. Permits to work, confined space procedures and isolation arrangements must be observed where applicable.

Risk Assessment, Controls and Safe Systems

We will carry out and record suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all routine and non-routine tasks. Controls will follow the hierarchy of prevention: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and finally personal protective equipment. Typical controls include:

• segregation of recyclable, hazardous and non-hazardous commercial waste;
• mechanical aids and manual handling training to reduce lifting injuries;
• vehicle loading limits, restraint systems and exclusion zones during collections;
• regular inspection and maintenance of bins, compactors and lifting gear.

Personal protective equipment is provided to protect against identified risks and must be used as instructed. This includes high-visibility clothing, gloves, safety footwear, eye protection and appropriate respiratory protection where dust or fumes are present. Supervisors will verify correct PPE usage during routine checks.

Driver and vehicle safety procedures include pre-shift vehicle inspections, securement of loads, safe reversing protocols and compliance with road safety rules. Drivers must not operate vehicles if fatigued, unfit or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Vehicle maintenance records will be retained to demonstrate ongoing roadworthiness.

Handling hazardous and special waste requires additional controls. Where commercial waste may contain hazardous materials, crews will follow classification, segregation and labelling procedures, use designated containment, and arrange appropriate specialist disposal. Waste streams that present chemical, biological or sharps hazards will be subject to specific safe methods and training.

Emergency procedures and incident management: all operatives must be familiar with emergency response arrangements including spill containment, first aid provision and fire response. Incidents and near misses will be reported immediately and investigated to identify corrective actions. Environmental incidents, such as uncontrolled releases, will be managed to contain impact and notified to the appropriate authorities when required.

Monitoring, review and continual improvement: performance will be monitored through routine inspections, audits, incident analysis and workforce feedback. Records of training, toolbox talks, and competency assessments will be maintained. This policy will be reviewed at least annually or following a significant incident, change in activity or regulatory update to ensure it remains effective and proportionate to the risks associated with our rubbish removal and waste collection service activities.

Training and competence: training programs will be provided to ensure staff are competent for their roles. Topics include safe manual handling, vehicle operations, segregation of waste streams, PPE use and recognition of hazardous materials. Refresher training will be scheduled and records kept.

Consultation and communication with the workforce is essential. Regular safety briefings, toolbox talks and written updates will be used to communicate safe working practices, lessons learned from incidents and changes to procedures. Employees are encouraged to raise safety concerns without fear of reprisal.

Commitment: The organisation is committed to providing a safe working environment for all those engaged in the provision of commercial waste services. Through leadership, planning and continual review we aim to reduce workplace harm, protect the environment and deliver a professional rubbish company service area that meets regulatory and customer expectations.