Health and Safety Policy — Garden Maintenance Blackfriars

Purpose and scope: This Health and Safety policy sets out the operational standards for Garden Maintenance Blackfriars and associated gardening services in the surrounding service area. It applies to all staff, subcontractors and visitors engaged in garden upkeep, lawn care, hedge work and soft landscaping activities. The objective is to minimise risk, prevent incidents and maintain a safe working environment while delivering high-quality garden care in Blackfriars and nearby neighbourhoods.

Responsibilities are distributed across the organisation: management retains overall responsibility for policy implementation, supervisors must ensure safe systems of work are in place, and each operative is required to follow instructions and report hazards. Management will provide the necessary resources, training and supervision to ensure staff competence, and operatives will use equipment and personal protective equipment correctly. The policy emphasises a shared duty of care and a proactive approach to hazard identification.

Staff training and competence are central to safe operations for Blackfriars garden maintenance and for our broader grounds maintenance services. All operatives will receive induction training, regular refresher sessions and practical instruction on machinery, manual handling and working at height. Apprentices and new employees will be supervised until deemed competent. Training records will be maintained and reviewed as part of performance monitoring.

Risk assessments will be conducted prior to all tasks and updated when site conditions change. These assessments will identify hazards such as uneven terrain, tree work risks, overhead power lines, pesticides and traffic near roadside verges. Control measures will be proportionate to the risk and may include exclusion zones, use of barriers, spotters and scheduling to avoid public peak times. The policy requires that supervisors confirm that risk controls are in place before work commences.

Equipment safety: Machinery and hand tools used by our gardening teams will be maintained according to manufacturers' guidelines and subject to routine inspections. Cutting tools, chainsaws, mowers and shredders will be serviced on a planned maintenance schedule, and defective equipment will be removed from use immediately. Operatives will use appropriate guards and follow lock-off procedures for maintenance. A simple checklist system will be used to log pre-use checks and any defects.

Control of hazardous substances is handled through a proportionate COSHH-style approach: substances such as fertilizers, weedkillers and fuels will be stored securely, labelled and used only by trained personnel. Spill kits, safe storage and clear product instructions reduce exposure risks. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — including gloves, eye protection, hearing protection and high-visibility clothing — will be issued and its use enforced where risks require it.

Emergency procedures cover first aid, fire response and incident reporting. First aid kits will be positioned on vans and at larger sites; trained first aiders will be available for every work shift. Incidents and near-misses must be reported immediately to a supervisor and recorded. Reported incidents trigger an investigation to identify root causes and improve controls. Emergency contacts and simple site evacuation arrangements will be included in site briefings without publishing specific local contact details in this document.

Contractor and visitor control: when third parties attend a site, they must be briefed on site-specific risks and follow the same safety expectations as our own teams. Temporary contractors undertaking specialist tasks (e.g., tree felling or heavy lifting) must provide evidence of competence and agreed safe systems of work. Visitors and clients on site should be escorted or excluded from high-risk areas to reduce exposure to moving machinery and chemical use.

Commitment and continual improvement: Garden Maintenance Blackfriars is committed to continually improving safety performance across all gardening services in the service area. This includes regular policy reviews, audits, safety meetings and feedback from operatives about practical controls. Performance metrics will include training completion rates, incident trends and audit results. The policy will be reviewed at least annually and updated to reflect changes in work scope, equipment or industry best practice.