Health & Safety when moving home

When moving house it is important to factor any elements of risk prior to the move to ensure the successful completion of the move without accident or injury to the movers or anyone else who is present during the move.

When moving house there is a higher risk of injuries due to tripping hazards or due to lifting heavy items improperly.  Due to this, it is important to assess the risks to avoid any issues arising.

If on the day of the move hazards have not been removed then this may cause delays or worse an injury to a moving team member which could result in your move having to be delayed if the person who has injured themselves are unable to continue with the move.

Prior to your move, there are some key actions which need to be taken to protect the safety of the movers and also you and your family.  It does not take much effort to implement the actions, but by not doing this may result in an injury which you may be liable for.

As a removals company all we want is for the move to be conducted in a safe and proper manner.  If upon arrival, a hazard has been identified then the men will have to make safe the hazard which will take extra time which may incur additional charges – so it is best you identify such hazards and remedy them before the removals men arrive at your home.

Manual Handling of heavy items

It is not only physical hazards which need to be identified, but also the manner in which you handle heavy items.  Removals men are trained in manual handling and over time have built up good strength and technique to carry heavy items of furniture.  By lifting heavy items can easily cause injury to you if not lifted properly.  Before moving furniture it is always a good idea to read up on manual handling you can read an online brochure at www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manualhandling.htm.   This may save you from a serious injury which could put you out of work for weeks, not to mention the long term effects of a back injury.

Don’t overload boxes

Boxes come in all shapes and sizes and the contents should be appropriate for the size of the box.  If you are packing books, then don’t put them in a large box – use an appropriately sized small box as these have to be lifted and sometimes carried over distance up stairs.  The best rule to abide by is not to overload a box, it is better to have more lighter boxes than less heavy boxes.

Trip Hazards

have a look around your house/office for loose carpets, cables or loose floorboards near the top of stairs.  if there is loose carpet on a stairs then this must be secured as the risk of falling down the stairs is probably the greatest risk during a house move, especially when walking backwards with a wardrobe or chest of drawers.

If its been snowing, clear the pathway

We live in a country where we have very mixed weather.  In the winter if on the day of your move it has been snowing then it is your responsibility to clear the path and make safe the working area before the removals men arrive.  If the path is not clear of snow or ice then the risk of slipping is extremely high.

Clear pathways and side entrances of obstructions.

If there are garden plants, bins or rubbish to the side of the house or causing any kind of obstruction then this needs to be cleared to allow the men to get in and out the house.

Don’t block corridors or entrances to rooms.

When you have packed boxes, place them in the back of the room.  Avoid leaving all boxes in the corridor, or leaving shoes and unpacked items near the bottom of the stairs or obstructing the entrance ways.

Put heavier items at the bottom of boxes and mark the boxes.

spread the weight over the bottom of the box.  There are 2 reasons for this, an unbalanced box is difficult to carry, and also it may not stack properly which may result in the stack collapsing and causing injury to a team member or damaging the contents of your box.

Order your boxes to allow for stacking

Once you have packed, split the boxes between heavy boxes and light boxes.  During the loading the men require the heavy boxes to go at the bottom of the stack and the light at the top.  It is considerate to split the boxes in order to allow the men to stack the boxes properly and not to find that they have some heavy boxes at the back of the pile which may need to be lifted above head height which may result in back injury or dropping the boxes.

Children love boxes

Children love boxes – empty or full they don’t care its a playground for them.  Empty boxes are good fun and children can hide in them safely.  However, a full box is dangerous.  If you have stacked full boxes and the child decides to use them as a climbing frame then they could easily fall on top of them resulting in serious injury.  Think about your child’s safety and only stack boxes 2 or 3 high with lighter boxes in front of the heavy boxes.

Children and pets are enquisitve on move day

With so much going on children naturally like to see what is happening. It is recommended to make alternative care arrangements for children and pets to ensure they do not get in the way of the removals men on the day of the move. If during carrying a heavy item of furniture a pet or child gets in the way then this may cause a serious injury.

Keep from under feet.

If you have paid a professional house removals company to look after your move then step aside and leave them to it.  They will need to be given direction as to where to place the furniture, but avoid getting too close to the men whilst they are handling furniture..

Equipment to be used

Removal companies will use an array of equipment to ensure the safe and efficient handling of furniture.  A good removal company will have sack trolleys, piano trolleys, furniture covers and blankets to protect the furniture and themselves during handling of the furniture.  If access is an issue then specialised equipment can be provided like hoists, cranes and smaller vehicles to trans-ship household effects,.

Identifying issues and responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the pre-move surveyor to identify any initial hazards during the survey of the property. At this time any such hazards will be discussed and a resolve to be agreed to overcome the hazard.  This will be either actioned by the customer or the removals team on the day of the move.  The foreman will be made aware of such hazards and to risk assess the site upon arrival. If the hazards have not been resolved then the team will have to resolve the issue before work can safely be commenced.

At Movingeverywhere we take the safety of our staff and customers seriously and have to ensure that the working environment is safe and free from hazards which may result in an accident or injury.  We not only move furniture but we look after our customers and their properties.