Health and Safety Policy — Gardeners Mitcham

Gardeners Mitcham is committed to providing safe, reliable, and professional gardening and grounds maintenance services. This Health and Safety Policy sets out the principles and practical measures that our Mitcham gardeners and crew follow to reduce risk, protect clients, staff and the public, and maintain high standards across all sites where our gardening services in Mitcham are provided. The policy applies across our service area and is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect operational changes.

Scope: This policy covers routine landscaping, lawn care, hedge and shrub pruning, tree work that does not require specialist arborist certification, planting, waste handling and the use of powered and manual tools. It is intended for use by the whole workforce including subcontractors and temporary staff. The aim is to ensure that our Mitcham gardening company activities are carried out in a way that minimises harm and disruption to property, people and the environment.

Policy Objectives

Our objectives are to: ensure safe systems of work; carry out proportionate risk assessments; provide training and supervision; supply appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); and maintain equipment in a safe condition. We also commit to reporting incidents promptly, investigating causes and taking corrective action to prevent recurrence.

Responsibilities

Management has overall responsibility for health and safety and must ensure this policy is implemented. Supervisors and team leaders are responsible for on-site enforcement of safe working practices. Every member of the team, including local gardeners in Mitcham, must take reasonable care of themselves and others, follow instructions, and report hazards or near-misses immediately.

Risk assessment is central to safe gardening operations. Before work begins, staff must complete a simple site-specific assessment to identify hazards such as underground services, uneven terrain, traffic risks, harmful plants, manual handling hazards and dust or chemical exposure. Assessments should set out control measures and be communicated to the team.

Control Measures

Key control measures include:

• Use of suitable PPE (gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing and steel-toe boots where required).
• Safe use and regular maintenance of mowers, strimmers and powered equipment.
• Clear exclusion zones around operating equipment and traffic management when working near roads.
• Proper storage, labelling and limited use of pesticides and fertilisers in line with manufacturers' instructions.
• Manual handling techniques and mechanical aids to reduce strain and injury.

Training and competence: All staff will receive induction training covering this policy and specific task training appropriate to their role. Training records are maintained and refresher sessions scheduled. Apprentices, trainees and new hires are supervised until competent. We encourage best practice and continuous improvement through toolbox talks and briefings.

Equipment and plant: Regular pre-use checks, servicing and safe storage of tools and machinery are mandatory. Faulty equipment must be taken out of service and reported. Battery-powered tools are preferred where practical to reduce emissions and noise. When using fuel-powered equipment, operators must follow safe refuelling procedures and store fuels securely.

Emergency procedures: The company maintains clear procedures for first aid, fire and other emergencies. Teams carry a basic first aid kit on site and have access to trained first aiders. In the event of a serious incident, emergency services should be contacted without delay and the company notified. All incidents and near-misses are recorded and reviewed to identify improvements.

Contracting and subcontractors: Anyone working on our behalf is required to meet these health and safety standards. We assess competence, provide site-specific briefings and monitor performance. Subcontractors must carry adequate insurance, follow permit-to-work requirements where relevant, and co-operate with our risk management procedures.

Monitoring, audit and review: We conduct routine site inspections and periodic audits to ensure compliance. Performance is measured through incident statistics, completion of training, equipment inspection records and feedback from staff. This policy is reviewed annually or sooner after significant changes to operations, equipment, or following any major incident.

Implementation: All staff are expected to familiarise themselves with this policy and apply it in daily work. Supervisors will ensure that safe systems are in place and that corrective actions are taken promptly. The objective of this policy is not only legal compliance but also to foster a safety-conscious culture within the team, whether delivering services as Gardeners Mitcham, as local gardening professionals, or when representing our broader gardening business across the area.