Self Storage Watford Health and Safety Policy
Self Storage Watford is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all employees, customers, contractors and visitors. This policy sets out our approach to managing health and safety across our storage facilities and related removal and handling activities carried out on site.
Policy Statement
Our objective is to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective controls. We aim to continuously improve our health and safety performance and to promote a culture where safety is a shared responsibility.
Health and safety considerations are integrated into the planning and delivery of all services, including the movement, loading and unloading of goods associated with storage and removal activities.
Legal Compliance and Responsibilities
Self Storage Watford complies with all applicable health and safety legislation and relevant guidance. We recognise our duty to provide safe premises, safe systems of work, and adequate information, instruction and training.
Management is responsible for implementing this policy, allocating appropriate resources and ensuring that suitable risk assessments and safe working procedures are in place. Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for day-to-day safety management within their area of control, including monitoring standards and addressing unsafe practices.
All employees, contractors and customers share responsibility for taking reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Everyone is expected to co-operate with safety arrangements and report any hazards, defects, near misses or incidents immediately to a member of staff.
Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work
We undertake regular risk assessments covering the use of storage units, loading bays, access routes, vehicle movements, manual handling operations and the use of equipment such as trolleys and lifting aids.
Findings from risk assessments are used to develop safe systems of work and operating procedures. These include, but are not limited to:
Clear rules for the loading and unloading of goods, including those handled as part of removal activities on our premises.
Guidance on unit access, safe stacking of items and weight distribution within units and vehicles.
Controls on the use of equipment such as pallet trucks and platform trolleys.
Procedures for managing visitors and third-party contractors on site.
Risk assessments and procedures are reviewed periodically and following any significant change in operations, equipment, layout, or incident.
Premises Safety and Housekeeping
We maintain our buildings, storage units, corridors, stairwells, lifts and external areas to ensure they are safe and fit for use. This includes regular inspections of structural elements, doors, locks, lighting, flooring, signage and emergency exits.
Good housekeeping is essential for safety when storing and moving goods. We will:
Keep walkways, stairways, loading areas and fire exits clear of obstructions.
Ensure that spills, debris and waste are dealt with promptly and disposed of safely.
Provide clear signage to guide customers and drivers around the site, including designated loading zones where applicable.
Encourage customers and removal personnel to store items safely, avoiding overloading units, blocking aisles or creating unstable stacks.
Manual Handling and Use of Equipment
Many activities at a storage facility involve lifting, carrying and moving items. To reduce the risk of manual handling injuries we will:
Provide suitable handling aids such as trolleys and carts where appropriate.
Train employees in safe lifting techniques and the correct use of equipment.
Encourage customers and any removal teams working on site to plan lifts, share loads where necessary and use mechanical aids whenever practicable.
Only trained and authorised employees may use specific mechanical equipment belonging to Self Storage Watford. Equipment will be maintained, inspected and taken out of service if found to be defective.
Traffic Management and Vehicle Safety
Where vehicles are used to bring goods to and from our premises or for removal-related activities, we implement measures to reduce the risk of collisions and injuries. These include:
Designated loading and unloading areas, clearly identified where possible.
Safe routes for vehicles and pedestrians, with separation where reasonably practicable.
Speed restrictions and site rules for drivers using our premises.
Customers and removal companies are responsible for the safety and roadworthiness of their vehicles and for ensuring that loads are secured, doors are operated safely and engines are not left running unnecessarily in enclosed areas.
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures
We maintain fire safety arrangements in line with relevant regulations and best practice. These include:
Fire risk assessments and regular reviews.
Suitable fire detection and alarm systems where required by law and building design.
Clearly marked emergency exits and escape routes kept free from obstruction.
Appropriate fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment, inspected and maintained.
Emergency procedures and evacuation instructions provided to employees and made available to customers and visitors.
Customer storage agreements prohibit the storage of dangerous, explosive or highly flammable items. Breach of these conditions can create serious risk and may lead to termination of storage arrangements.
Hazardous Substances and Prohibited Items
To protect people and property, certain items must not be stored in our units or handled on site. These typically include flammable liquids, gas cylinders, chemicals, explosives, corrosives, toxic substances, perishable goods, live animals, and any illegal items.
We communicate these restrictions clearly to customers and expect compliance at all times. Employees who suspect that prohibited or hazardous items are being stored must report this immediately to management so that appropriate action can be taken.
Training, Information and Supervision
We provide employees with information, instruction and training relevant to their roles, including induction training, refresher training and job-specific instruction for higher-risk tasks such as manual handling and emergency response.
Supervisors monitor working practices, correct unsafe behaviour and reinforce safe procedures. Safety signage is provided where needed to remind customers and contractors of site rules and hazards.
Accidents, Incidents and Continuous Improvement
All accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences on our premises must be reported promptly. We will investigate such events to identify underlying causes, implement corrective actions and prevent recurrence.
Records of incidents, inspections and maintenance are kept to support ongoing monitoring and improvement of our health and safety performance.
Customer and Contractor Responsibilities
Customers, removal teams and other contractors using our site must:
Follow all safety instructions, signage and site rules.
Use equipment safely and only for its intended purpose.
Take care when lifting, carrying and stacking items.
Keep access routes and fire exits clear at all times.
Refrain from bringing or storing prohibited or hazardous items.
Report hazards, defects or incidents to a member of staff without delay.
Review of this Policy
This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legislation, best practice, our operations or following any significant incident. The current version of the policy is available to employees, customers, contractors and visitors on request.
