Gardeners Shacklewell Health and Safety Policy

Gardeners Shacklewell is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, subcontractors, clients, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our gardening and grounds maintenance activities. We recognise our responsibilities under relevant health and safety legislation and good industry practice, and we aim to prevent injury, ill health and damage to property or the environment.

Policy Statement and Objectives

Our objective is to manage health and safety as an integral part of our gardening services. We will identify hazards, assess associated risks, and implement proportionate controls. We will provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure that our work is carried out safely and to a high professional standard.

Health and safety performance is the responsibility of management and staff at every level. We expect everyone working for or with Gardeners Shacklewell to take reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others, and to cooperate with the measures we put in place.

Management Responsibilities

Management is responsible for implementing this policy and reviewing it periodically to ensure it remains effective and relevant. This includes monitoring working practices on gardening projects, ensuring that risk assessments are in place, and that suitable resources are allocated for health and safety, including equipment, training and supervision.

We will ensure that all work undertaken in gardens, outdoor spaces and related environments is planned and organised so that health and safety risks are minimised. Management will investigate incidents, near misses and reported hazards, and will take appropriate corrective and preventive action.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees and regular subcontractors must follow the safety procedures and instructions relating to their work. They must use equipment correctly, wear suitable personal protective equipment where required, and report any defects, hazards, incidents or near misses as soon as they become aware of them.

Employees must not misuse or interfere with any item provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare. They must cooperate fully with training, site rules and supervision, and must not undertake tasks for which they have not been trained or authorised.

Risk Assessment and Planning

Before starting gardening or grounds maintenance work, we will identify site-specific hazards such as uneven ground, water features, underground services, overhead cables, manual handling tasks, use of chemicals and powered machinery. We will assess the risks and determine control measures necessary to carry out the work safely.

Risk assessments will be proportionate to the nature and scale of the job. They will be reviewed when there are significant changes to working methods, equipment, or site conditions, or following any incident that indicates a need for improvement.

Training, Competence and Supervision

Gardeners Shacklewell will provide relevant health and safety training for employees, including induction, safe use of tools and machinery, safe handling and application of garden chemicals, manual handling, and awareness of environmental and public safety considerations.

Only competent and appropriately trained individuals will be permitted to operate powered equipment such as hedge trimmers, mowers, brush cutters, shredders and other machinery. Supervision will be provided in line with the experience and competence of staff, with additional oversight for new or young workers.

Safe Use of Tools, Machinery and Chemicals

All tools and machinery used in our gardening work will be selected for their suitability and maintained in a safe condition. Pre-use checks will be carried out, and defective equipment will be removed from service until repaired or replaced. Guards, safety devices and emergency stop systems must be in place and functional.

Where garden chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers are used, they will be stored, transported, mixed and applied in accordance with manufacturer instructions, safety data sheets and applicable regulations. Only trained personnel will use such products, and efforts will be made to minimise chemical use and promote safer alternatives where feasible.

Personal Protective Equipment

Appropriate personal protective equipment will be provided where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means. This may include safety footwear, gloves, eye and face protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, respiratory protection or weather-appropriate clothing.

Employees are required to use and look after the personal protective equipment provided, report any defects, and store it properly when not in use.

Public, Client and Environmental Safety

We recognise that our gardening activities often take place in shared or public spaces. We will plan and carry out work in a way that protects clients, neighbours, visitors and passers-by. This includes segregating work areas where necessary, using warning signs, controlling vehicle movements and scheduling higher-risk tasks to reduce public exposure.

We will also aim to minimise environmental impacts by managing waste responsibly, avoiding unnecessary noise and dust, and working with clients to encourage safe, sustainable gardening practices.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and hazardous occurrences must be reported so that they can be recorded, investigated and used as a basis for learning and improvement. First aid arrangements will be in place appropriate to the size and nature of the job, and employees will know how to access first aid supplies and assistance.

Emergency procedures will consider foreseeable situations such as injuries, fires, contact with chemicals, or sudden changes in weather conditions that could affect safety. Teams will be briefed on how to respond, including contacting the emergency services where needed.

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Gardeners Shacklewell is committed to continual improvement in health and safety performance. We will monitor our practices through inspections, feedback from employees and clients, and review of incident records. Findings will be used to update risk assessments, procedures and training.

This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legislation, guidance, technology and the nature of our gardening services. The updated policy will be communicated to all relevant personnel so that health and safety remains a core part of how we operate.