Health and Safety Policy — Garden Maintenance Finsbury Park

Garden Maintenance Finsbury Park is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of staff, contractors, clients and the public while delivering high-quality garden and grounds care. This policy sets out our approach to risk control, training, environmental responsibility and continuous improvement across all our gardening and landscape maintenance services in and around the service area. Our priority is a safe working environment that enables efficient, professional garden services without compromising wellbeing.

Policy Statement and Scope

We recognise our duty to manage foreseeable risks associated with garden maintenance in Finsbury Park and nearby neighbourhoods. This policy applies to all employees, subcontractors and temporary workers engaged in lawn care, hedge trimming, planting, pruning, soft landscaping, hard landscaping assistance and related grounds maintenance tasks. We will ensure: safe systems of work, adequate resources for safety, and the provision of appropriate information, instruction and supervision.

Roles and Responsibilities — Management and supervisors will maintain clear responsibility for health and safety, ensuring that site risk assessments and method statements are prepared, reviewed and communicated. Employees are required to cooperate with safety arrangements, attend mandatory training and use provided personal protective equipment (PPE). Contractors and visitors must follow site rules and report hazards immediately. Everyone on site has a duty to stop work where safety is at immediate risk and to report incidents promptly.

Risk Assessment, Safe Systems and Training

Comprehensive risk assessments guide our operations for each job, whether routine garden maintenance or one-off landscape projects. Assessments consider site access, ground conditions, weather, proximity to public spaces and potential contact with utilities. We implement safe systems of work that prioritise control measures to eliminate or reduce risk—substitution, engineering controls, administrative measures and PPE in that order.

Competence, Training and Supervision

All staff receive induction training, followed by role-specific instruction covering machinery operation, pesticide and fertiliser handling, manual handling and working at height where applicable. Training records are maintained and reviewed. Supervisors provide on-the-job coaching and ensure that only competent operatives undertake specialist tasks such as chainsaw use or digger operation. Continual development is supported through refresher courses and toolbox talks.

We maintain operator competency registers and licence checks for plant machinery. Key elements include:

• Formal inductions for new starters
• Regular risk briefings and toolbox talks
• Certification checks for specific plant and pesticide applicators

Plant, Equipment and Chemical Safety: All equipment used in our garden services is inspected before use and maintained to manufacturer standards. Records of inspections and maintenance are kept. Hazardous substances are stored securely and used only by trained personnel, with COSHH-style assessments adapted into our site procedures. Spill kits and first-aid supplies are readily available on site.

Site Procedures, Public Safety and Environmental Care — When working near public footpaths, play areas or communal spaces we implement exclusions, barriers, signage and supervision to protect passersby. Waste arising from maintenance is segregated and disposed of responsibly; green waste is recycled where possible. Noise, dust and runoff control are part of planning any operation that could impact neighbouring properties or wildlife.

Incident Reporting, Emergency Preparedness and Records: All incidents, near misses and non-conformances are recorded and investigated to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. Emergency procedures are in place for medical incidents, fire, chemical spill or major plant failure. Records of risk assessments, training, inspections, maintenance and incident investigations are retained to demonstrate compliance and support ongoing improvement.

Contractor Management and Supply Chain: Subcontractors engaged for specialised gardening or landscaping tasks are evaluated for competence, insurance and safety performance before appointment. Collaborative communication ensures that everyone working on the same site understands shared risks and controls. Audits and spot checks verify continuing compliance with our health and safety expectations.

Monitoring and Review: Safety performance is monitored through regular site audits, observation of work practices and review meetings. Key performance indicators include training completion rates, inspection compliance, incident frequency and action closure rates. This policy is reviewed at least annually or following a significant incident or change to operations to ensure it remains effective.

Commitment: Garden Maintenance Finsbury Park is committed to continual improvement in health and safety standards for all garden care activities across our service area. By following this policy — and by staff, contractors and clients acting responsibly — we aim to deliver professional garden services with minimized risk to people and the environment. Signed on behalf of management: the leadership team will ensure resources and oversight remain in place to uphold this policy and protect everyone involved.