Health and Safety Policy — Garden Clearance Dulwich

Purpose: This Health and Safety policy sets out the commitment of Garden Clearance Dulwich to protect the health, safety and welfare of staff, contractors, clients and the public while carrying out garden clearance and rubbish removal services. It applies across our service area to all garden waste collection, green waste removal and general tidy-up operations. The policy is designed to ensure legal compliance, prevent accidents and minimise environmental impact while delivering professional garden clearance services.

Scope and legal framework: The policy covers all activities associated with clearing gardens and disposing of debris, including tree prunings, soil, compostable material and non-hazardous household waste items. We operate in accordance with current health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards for waste management. Company procedures will be periodically reviewed to reflect changes in regulation and best practice for rubbish collection and garden clearance operations.

Responsibilities: Everyone involved in our garden clearance work has a role to play in safety. Key responsibilities include:

• Management: assess risks, allocate resources and ensure training and supervision are provided;
• Supervisors: implement safe systems of work, manage day-to-day site safety and ensure correct PPE is used;
• Employees and contractors: follow safe work procedures, report hazards and incidents promptly.

Risk assessments will be carried out before all garden clearance projects and updated if conditions change. Identified hazards may include manual handling injuries during green waste lifting, trips and falls on uneven ground, cuts from tools, vehicle movements, and exposure to hazardous materials such as asbestos in older garden structures or chemical residues. Control measures include method statements, safe lifting training, use of mechanical aids, clear traffic management for rubbish removal vehicles and maintaining tidy work areas.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided and worn where identified as necessary. This can include gloves, eye protection, hi-vis clothing, safety footwear and hearing protection for powered equipment. PPE is a last line of defence and must be used alongside other controls such as tool guards, appropriate signage and exclusion zones around powered garden machinery used during clearance tasks.

To reduce risks associated with waste handling, we maintain segregation procedures for recyclables, compostables and non-recyclable waste. Our teams use labelled containers and follow safe transfer practices for transport. The company enforces strict procedures for identifying and managing potential hazardous wastes encountered during garden work and will suspend operations and seek specialist disposal where needed.

Training and competence: All staff and subcontractors engaged in garden clearance, rubbish removal or green waste disposal receive induction training and periodic refresher courses. Training covers manual handling, safe use of hand and powered tools, vehicle safety, spill response and how to complete incident reports. Competence is checked through supervision and practical demonstration.

Incident reporting and investigation: All accidents, near-misses and environmental incidents must be reported immediately. Reports will be recorded, investigated and used to improve procedures. Lessons learned will be communicated to crews and reflected in training updates to prevent recurrence and to maintain a strong safety culture across our garden clearance service teams.

Emergency procedures and first aid: Sites will have access to first aid supplies and trained first-aiders. Emergency contact protocols and evacuation plans are in place where applicable. For incidents involving hazardous materials discovered during clearance, operations will be halted and specialist assistance sought. Records of first aid and emergency responses are retained for review and compliance with statutory requirements.

Contractors and equipment: All subcontractors engaged to provide rubbish collection or specialist clearance tasks must comply with this policy and demonstrate adequate insurance, training and safe systems of work. Equipment must be regularly inspected, maintained and, where appropriate, accompanied by manufacturer operating instructions. Faulty equipment is removed from service until repaired or replaced.

Environmental management and waste duty of care: We follow best practice for recycling and recovery of garden waste, aim to minimise landfill, and maintain appropriate waste transfer documentation. Our approach ensures the responsible disposal of all materials collected during garden clearance, with consideration given to composting and reuse where feasible.

Review and commitment: This Health and Safety policy is reviewed at least annually or sooner following significant changes in operations, legislation or after a serious incident. Management is committed to providing the resources necessary to implement and maintain the policy so that garden clearance operations and rubbish removal activities remain safe, lawful and environmentally responsible. All personnel are expected to support and comply with this policy as a condition of engagement.