Supervise the preparation and loading of goods for removal

This standard outlines the skills and knowledge required to supervise the preparation and loading of goods for removal.

It applies to both household and business moves and includes domestic and international destinations.

Effective supervision ensures that all stages of preparation and loading are carried out safely, systematically and in line with organisational procedures and industry codes of practice. This includes confirming that goods are correctly dismantled, packed, protected, documented, labelled and loaded, as well as ensuring that appropriate resources are in place.

The standard emphasises the importance of planning, risk assessment, safe handling techniques, correct load securing, and maintaining clear communication with customers and colleagues to support a smooth, efficient and damage‑free move.

This standard is relevant to all those who are responsible for supervising removal activities as part of their job role

1. maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in line with the relevant legislation and organisational requirements
2. confirm that the required personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work being carried out is worn at all times, in line with organisational procedures
3. confirm that those carrying out the work have received relevant training in line with legal and organisational requirements
4. consult the job instructions for a full inventory of items to be moved before arrival at a customer’s address, noting any difficulties and special instructions
5. check that adequate resources are available including materials needed for packing and protection, moving and loading equipment and tools in line with organisation procedures
6. establish contact with customers on arrival and confirm the job details
7. complete a risk assessment and obtain sign-off from relevant persons in line with organisational procedures
8. check existing damage to goods, and building, (walls, floors, doorways) is recorded using suitable methods in line with organisational procedures
9. plan vehicle loading following industry good practice and avoiding damage to goods during transit in line with organisational procedures
10. check that customer goods are ready for removal, including disconnection and cleaning where required
11. supervise the dismantling of large items to facilitate removal and ensure fixings and information is retained to aid reassembly
12. check that furniture and other items are adequately protected from damage during movement and loading using organisational approved protective coverings and export packing requirements where relevant
13. identify items which require special handling and ensure they are protected and loaded correctly in line with organisational procedures and industry best practice
14. check that items requiring packing are correctly wrapped and packed into suitable packing containers and securely sealed in line with organisational procedures and industry best practice
15. maintain effective communication with colleagues and customers throughout the work
16. check that all items are correctly documented on the inventory and labelled in line with organisational procedures and industry best of practice
17. check that goods are loaded in accordance with the loading plan using safe handling techniques and suitable equipment
18. check that goods are adequately secured in vehicles using suitable restraints in line with organisational procedures and industry best practice
19. check that weight is distributed correctly for the type of vehicle and does not exceed the maximum permissible laden weight
20. deal effectively with issues that arise within the scope and limitations of your responsibilities and competence and report issues which cannot be resolved, in line with organisational procedures
21. check that work areas are maintained in a clean and tidy condition throughout the activity
22. complete required documentation and records in line with relevant legal requirements and organisational procedures

1. your responsibilities under the relevant health and safety legislation and organisational requirements
2. organisational requirements for the completion of risk assessments and who needs to sign them
3. how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with work being carried out, and the suitable control measures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) that can be put in place to reduce risks
4. the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be worn when preparing to carry out removals
5. how to identify and access information required to carry out the work
6. the resources required to dismantle, pack, protect, move, load and secure goods for removal
7. the importance of building and maintaining good relationships with customers
8. the roles and responsibilities of colleagues and why it is important to maintain communication and work effectively with colleagues when carrying out your work
9. the procedure for disconnecting appliances and other equipment and when professional assistance is required such as from electricians, plumbers or gas engineers
10. the procedure for dismantling different large items, where to find specific instructions, and the importance of retaining fixings and information for reassembly
11. how to protect different types of goods for removal, the range of protective coverings available, and how to select the most appropriate
12. the requirements for protecting and loading items which require special handling
13. packing requirements for smaller items including heavy, delicate, fragile and valuable items, clothing and textiles, chilled and frozen goods
14. packing and protection required for specialist items
15. requirements for hazardous goods, which items are prohibited and cannot be packed, and why this is important for insurance purposes
16. export packing requirements for international moves
17. the importance of considering environmental impact and sustainability when selecting protective coverings and packing materials
18. the labelling system used by your organisation
19. the documents that need to be completed, including a full inventory of all items being moved, together with a record of existing damage
20. the order in which goods should be loaded and how they should be protected and secured
21. how to check that loads are within the vehicle limits, including weight limit and weight distribution
22. issues that may occur when preparing and loading goods for removal, the actions to take and the organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
23. the relevant legal and organisational requirements and industry codes of practice for preparing and loading goods for removal
24. the information and recording systems used by the organisation and the legal and organisational requirements for maintaining records, including data protection legislation and organisational procedures for data security

Export packing requirements: protection against damage (consider the amount of handling required by the transport mode being used), prevention of theft, protection against exposure to moisture, humidity and temperature changes (use of moisture-resistant materials e.g., plastic wrapping, desiccants), use of returnable export packaging, legislation; documentation

Goods: domestic and business appliances and equipment; furniture; glass and mirrors; sofas, chairs and mattresses; TVs and monitors; pictures; clothing and textiles; food items; small non-fragile and fragile items; specialist items, garden and garage items; hazardous items

Health and safety includes mental and physical wellbeing

Items which require special handling could include: safes, pianos or other heavy items of furniture or equipment, antiques, clocks, barometers, fragile goods, pictures, artwork, valuables, chandeliers

Moving and loading equipment: on-board lifting equipment, tail lifts, lift trucks, conveyors, cranes, ramps, sack barrows, piano wheels, dollies, trucks, trolleys, skates, shoes, roller sets, stair climbers, shoulder straps and webbing, ladders

Packing containers: corrugated cardboard boxes, crates, cases, speciality containers e.g. wardrobe cartons, TV boxes, picture cartons, artwork bags

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) could include: high-visibility clothing, hard hats, protective clothing, eye protection, masks, gloves, safety footwear

Protective coverings: moving blankets, sofa/armchair covers, mattress covers, Furni-guard, bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, paper, plastic stretch wrap, corner protectors 

Record existing damage - written description, diagram, photograph

Restraints: straps, battens, chocks, chains, ropes; webbing

Safe System of Work (SSoW) is a method of work that puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards, which are broken down into four elements: safe person; safe equipment; safe place; and safe practice.