Health and Safety Policy — Gardening Stratford

Gardening Stratford is committed to providing a safe working environment for employees, subcontractors and clients while delivering professional garden care across the service area. This policy outlines our approach to managing occupational health and safety, ensuring that every landscape, lawn and planting task is planned and executed with safety at the forefront. The purpose of this statement is to set clear expectations, allocate responsibilities and maintain continuous improvement in safety performance for this gardening company and its teams.

Policy Statement: We will take all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate hazards, reduce risks and comply with applicable safety standards relevant to gardening and grounds maintenance. Stratford gardening operations involve powered equipment, manual handling, chemical use and work near boundaries and public spaces; therefore, our controls are designed to reflect these specific risks. All work must be authorised, assessed and supervised by competent personnel.

Our objectives include preventing work-related injuries and ill health, promoting safe working methods, and ensuring that plant, tools and substances are managed responsibly. We emphasise proactive risk assessment prior to every job and the implementation of control measures such as exclusion zones, traffic management when necessary and the use of appropriate protective equipment. This policy applies to all activities carried out by the gardening company in Stratford and adjacent areas of operation.

The scope covers routine horticultural maintenance, landscaping, tree care within reason, planting, pruning, turf works and any temporary project work performed by our teams. Managers are responsible for ensuring that documented risk assessments are current, that staff receive induction and refresher training, and that resources are allocated to meet safety commitments. Supervisors must ensure onsite adherence to safe systems of work and that plant operators are certified where required.

Employees and operatives are expected to follow instructions, use supplied PPE and report hazards or incidents without delay. Every team member has the duty to stop work if unsafe conditions exist and to assist with corrective actions. Subcontractors engaged to supplement our workforce must accept and follow this policy or provide evidence of equivalent arrangements.

We support a collaborative safety culture where communication is encouraged. Toolbox talks, site briefings and documented handovers are standard for each shift. The gardening business will appoint a safety coordinator to review records, maintain first-aid provisions and ensure that welfare facilities are available where prolonged worksites require them.

Before any task begins a documented risk assessment must be completed, identifying hazards, evaluating the level of risk and selecting proportionate control measures. Controls follow a hierarchy: eliminate the hazard where possible, substitute high-risk methods with safer ones, introduce engineering controls, apply administrative controls and finally use PPE. This approach ensures that Stratford garden care activities are planned with measurable risk reduction.

Equipment and maintenance: powered tools and machinery will be inspected and maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ guidance. Only trained operatives may use chainsaws, ride-on mowers, shredders and similar machinery; clear exclusion zones and audible warnings are used to protect bystanders. Chemical use, including herbicides and pesticides brought onto a site, is restricted to trained staff using COSHH-like principles: correct storage, labelled containers and safe mixing/ application practices.

Manual handling is assessed and mitigated through mechanical aids, team lifts and task design. Weather-related hazards, such as working in extreme heat, cold or high winds, are managed by altering schedules, increasing rest breaks and ensuring hydration. When work is adjacent to highways or public footpaths, traffic management and signage are implemented to protect the public and staff.

Training and competence are essential components of the health and safety framework. All employees receive induction training, job-specific instruction and periodic refresher sessions. Records of training, licences and medical checks are maintained and reviewed. Strong supervision supports on-the-job learning and ensures compliance with the policy.

Incidents and near-misses must be reported immediately and investigated to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. We operate a simple reporting process and maintain an incident log that supports corrective actions and lessons learned. Where appropriate, results of investigations are shared with staff to reinforce safety messages and to continually improve systems.

The policy is reviewed at planned intervals or following significant changes in operations, legislation or after serious incidents. Leadership will monitor performance through routine site audits, review of incident statistics and consultation with staff. This living policy commits the gardening company in Stratford to measurable safety targets and ongoing development of best practice.