Health and Safety Policy — Commercial Waste Hayes

This Health and Safety Policy sets out the commitment of our commercial waste operation to protect employees, contractors, visitors and the public while delivering commercial waste services in Hayes and surrounding service areas. The policy applies across all site activities, vehicle operations and customer premises visits carried out by our rubbish removal and commercial collection teams. Our aim is to maintain a robust safety culture that minimises risk, ensures compliance with good practice and supports safe, efficient rubbish collection and waste management throughout the service area.

Scope and Responsibilities

All staff have specific responsibilities for health and safety; management will lead by example and provide resources, training and supervision. The policy covers waste categorisation, manual handling, moving and loading of commercial waste containers, safe access to customer sites and vehicle operations. Supervisors must ensure method statements and risk assessments are available for routine and non-routine tasks, and employees must follow instructions, use provided PPE and report hazards promptly. The policy includes expectations for sub-contractors engaged to support commercial rubbish collection Hayes contracts.

Key responsibilities are defined below in summary form:

• Management: set policy, provide training, ensure vehicle and site safety checks.
• Supervisors: implement safe systems, monitor staff, maintain records.
• Operatives: follow safe procedures, wear PPE, report incidents.
• Contractors: comply with our standards and provide evidence of competency.

This structured approach ensures clarity across the commercial waste handling cycle.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems

Risk assessments are carried out for routine collections, special collections, hazardous waste segregation and when engaging with customer site-specific hazards. Control measures are applied to reduce risk to ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable). Safe systems of work include pre-shift vehicle checks, exclusion zones during loading, clear traffic management and safe lifting techniques for bulky commercial rubbish and containers. Written procedures and method statements are maintained and reviewed when conditions or activities change.

Training and competence are central to our safety approach. All operatives receive induction training, job-specific training on handling different waste streams and defensive driving modules for commercial waste vehicle crews. Refresher training is scheduled periodically and on change of equipment or regulation. We use toolbox talks, practical demonstrations and observed competency checks to reinforce safe practice. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hi-vis clothing, gloves, safety boots and eye protection is provided and its use is mandatory when required by risk assessment.

Vehicle safety and maintenance are critical for safe rubbish removal Hayes operations. Vehicles are subject to daily checks, routine servicing and statutory inspections. Drivers must comply with hours of service regulations, secure loads appropriately and follow pre-planned routes that minimise hazards. Loading and unloading procedures prioritise operatives' safety and public protection; mechanical aids are used where possible to reduce manual handling risks.

Emergency procedures and incident management ensure rapid, proportionate response to accidents, spillages or near-misses. All incidents are reported and investigated to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. First aid provision is available at depots and vehicles carry basic kits for site response. Spill kits and containment measures are positioned where hazardous waste or liquids may be present to protect people and the environment.

Our monitoring programme includes regular site audits, vehicle inspections and performance reviews to measure compliance with the safety policy. Records of training, risk assessments, incident reports and maintenance are retained and reviewed to support continuous improvement. Performance indicators such as incident frequency, audit scores and corrective action completion rates drive prioritised improvements across the rubbish collection service area.

This policy is supported by clear communication channels; safety briefings, written procedures and signage ensure everyone understands expectations. Managers will review the policy periodically to reflect operational changes, legislative updates and lessons from safety performance. By working together to follow these standards, our commercial waste teams deliver safe, reliable and responsible waste collection and rubbish removal across the service area.