Health and Safety Policy for Gardening Lewisham

Purpose: This policy sets out the commitment of the Gardening Lewisham team to protect the health, safety and welfare of its workers, clients and the public while delivering professional garden maintenance and landscaping services. Our aim is to provide safe, reliable Lewisham gardening services and to reduce harm through clear responsibilities, training and practical controls.

Scope and Commitment

The policy applies to all garden work carried out by the company, including hedge trimming, turf and planting, tree care, and seasonal maintenance. Lewisham gardeners and contractors engaged by Gardening Lewisham must follow this policy. We will allocate resources to ensure safety standards are met, encourage a strong safety culture and pursue continual improvement.

Key principles:

• Prevent incidents by identifying and controlling risks associated with gardening services in Lewisham and nearby service areas.
• Provide appropriate training, supervision and equipment for all staff.
• Ensure that all activities are planned and carried out safely, with environmental and community impacts considered.

Responsibilities of Management

Management will ensure that Gardening Lewisham policies are implemented. This includes risk assessments for each job, selection of competent staff, and the provision of suitable tools, machinery and personal protective equipment (PPE). Managers will monitor compliance and act promptly on any safety concerns.

Supervisors and team leaders must ensure safe systems of work are communicated and followed. They will carry out pre-work briefings, confirm that permits and controls are in place where necessary, and make sure employees understand emergency procedures and reporting lines.

Worker responsibilities: Employees and subcontractors must take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others. Staff must:

• Follow safe working procedures and risk controls.
• Use PPE correctly and report damaged equipment.
• Attend training, toolbox talks and participate in safety reviews.

Risk assessment and planning are fundamental to our approach. Before work begins the team completes a site-specific risk assessment that considers terrain, access, public interaction, underground services and weather. Control measures are selected to eliminate or reduce risk and are recorded on job sheets.

We use defined safe systems for commonly encountered tasks: manual handling of plants and materials, the operation of powered tools, ladder and small-scale height work, and the safe transport of materials between sites. Work planning emphasises ergonomics and teamwork to avoid injuries.

Hazardous substances such as fuels, solvents and approved horticultural chemicals are stored, handled and used in line with manufacturer guidance and company procedures. Wherever possible we use non-hazardous alternatives and minimise quantities kept on site.

Equipment and maintenance: All machinery and tools supplied by Gardening Lewisham are maintained to a high standard and inspected regularly. Employees are trained in the safe setup, use and shutdown of equipment. Faulty tools are removed from service until repaired.

Environmental and public protection: Our operations consider the wider environment. Waste is segregated and disposed of responsibly, noise and dust are controlled, and care is taken to protect wildlife and neighbours. We will not undertake work that creates undue risk to the public and will implement barriers, signage and traffic controls as needed.

Incident reporting and investigation: All incidents, near misses and hazards must be reported promptly. We will investigate to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Records of incidents, inspections and training are kept to support continuous improvement across our Lewisham garden care services.

Training and competence: Gardening Lewisham invests in ongoing training to maintain high standards of competence. Induction, task-specific instruction and refresher training are provided. Staff competence is reviewed during performance checks and before undertaking higher-risk tasks.

Monitoring and review: The effectiveness of this policy will be reviewed regularly through audits, site inspections and consultation with staff. Findings will be used to update procedures, training and resources so that our gardening team continues to deliver safe, reliable services.

Policy review cycle: This policy is a living document and will be reviewed at regular intervals or following a significant incident or change in working practices. The Gardening Lewisham team is committed to keeping health and safety central to all operations, protecting staff, clients and the wider community while providing professional garden maintenance and landscaping.