Gardeners Queensbury Health and Safety Policy

Gardeners Queensbury is committed to providing gardening and grounds maintenance services in a way that protects the health, safety and welfare of our employees, customers, visitors and members of the public. This policy explains how we manage health and safety across all work sites and services, and sets out the responsibilities and standards expected of everyone who works for or with us.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Our objectives are to prevent injury and ill health, protect the environment, and continually improve our safety performance. We aim to identify and control hazards associated with gardening activities, including the use of machinery, hand tools, chemicals, vehicles and manual handling, and to ensure that all work is planned and carried out safely and responsibly.

Legal Duties and Compliance

Gardeners Queensbury complies with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry guidance applicable to gardening and landscape maintenance activities. We monitor changes in legal requirements and good practice to keep our procedures up to date. Compliance with this policy and all supporting procedures is a condition of employment and applies to all employees, contractors and others working on our behalf.

Management Responsibilities

Management is responsible for implementing and reviewing this policy and for providing the resources necessary to manage health and safety effectively. This includes:

Planning work so that risks are identified and controlled before activities begin, ensuring that tools, machinery and equipment are suitable for their intended use and properly maintained, arranging appropriate training, instruction and supervision, setting clear safety standards for gardening work and monitoring performance, and investigating accidents, incidents and near misses to prevent recurrence.

Managers will ensure that risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work are in place for all relevant gardening tasks and that employees understand and follow them.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Employees must:

Follow all safety instructions, procedures and training, use tools, machinery, vehicles and personal protective equipment correctly, report hazards, defects, accidents, incidents and near misses promptly to management, cooperate with investigations and audits, and never undertake work for which they are not trained or authorised.

Employees are expected to contribute to a positive safety culture by raising concerns, suggesting improvements and looking out for the safety of colleagues and members of the public.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Before starting any gardening or maintenance task, risks will be assessed and appropriate controls put in place. Typical hazards include slips and trips, uneven ground, working at height, the use of powered equipment, exposure to noise and vibration, manual handling and contact with plants, soil and garden chemicals.

Control measures may include planning access routes and safe work zones, using guards and safety devices on machinery, adopting safe manual handling techniques and using mechanical aids where practical, segregating work areas from the public, marking off work zones and using clear signage, and scheduling tasks to reduce exposure to extreme weather or poor visibility.

Safe systems of work will be communicated to all relevant staff, and compliance will be monitored on site.

Training, Instruction and Supervision

Gardeners Queensbury provides appropriate training and instruction to ensure that employees are competent to carry out their work safely. This may include induction training on company safety procedures, task-specific training on lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers, blowers and other powered tools, instruction on safe use, handling and storage of fuels, pesticides and fertilisers, manual handling training and guidance on working safely at height, including the use of ladders and other access equipment.

Supervision will be proportionate to the level of risk and the experience of employees. New starters and less experienced staff will receive closer supervision until they demonstrate the required level of competence.

Machinery, Tools and Equipment

All machinery, tools and equipment used by Gardeners Queensbury will be selected, inspected, maintained and, where required, tested to ensure they remain safe and fit for purpose. Defective or damaged equipment must be reported immediately and taken out of use until repaired or replaced.

Only trained and authorised personnel may operate powered equipment. Guards and safety features must not be removed, modified or bypassed. Equipment will be transported and stored safely to prevent damage, unauthorised use and environmental harm.

Chemicals, Fuels and Hazardous Substances

Where gardening work involves the use of pesticides, fertilisers, fuels or other hazardous substances, specific risk assessments will be carried out and suitable control measures implemented. These may include using the least hazardous products that are effective, following manufacturer instructions and safety data, providing appropriate personal protective equipment, ensuring safe storage, labelling and disposal, and preventing contamination of soil, drains and watercourses.

Only trained personnel may handle and apply such substances. Records of use will be maintained where required.

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment, such as safety footwear, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing and respiratory protection, will be provided where risk assessment shows it is necessary. Employees must use the equipment as instructed, keep it in good condition and report any loss or damage. PPE is considered a last line of defence and does not replace the need to eliminate or reduce risks at source.

Public Safety and Site Protection

Many gardening activities take place in areas accessible to the public, including private gardens, shared spaces and communal grounds. Gardeners Queensbury takes particular care to protect clients, visitors, neighbours and passers-by. This may involve cordoning off work areas, using warning signs, managing traffic where vehicles and machinery are in use, and programming noisier or higher-risk activities for times that minimise disruption and risk.

Tools and materials will be stored securely when not in use, and work areas will be kept as tidy as reasonably practicable to prevent trips, falls and unauthorised access.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Preparedness

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported as soon as possible. Gardeners Queensbury will investigate incidents to identify underlying causes and implement corrective actions. First aid arrangements suitable for gardening work will be maintained, and staff will know how to access assistance on site.

Emergency procedures will cover situations such as serious injury, fire, fuel or chemical spills and extreme weather. Employees must follow these procedures and cooperate fully with emergency services if required.

Consultation and Continuous Improvement

Gardeners Queensbury recognises that effective health and safety management relies on the involvement of all employees. We encourage open communication about safety issues and invite suggestions for improving procedures, equipment and working methods. This policy and associated procedures will be reviewed regularly, and at least annually, to reflect changes in legislation, industry practice and our own operations.

By working together to follow this Health and Safety Policy, we aim to provide gardening services that are not only high quality and reliable, but also safe, responsible and considerate to people and the environment in every location where we operate.