Sector guide · Removals & storage
Removals is pure manual handling performed in public: heavy, awkward loads down tight stairs, across wet drives, into customers' new homes. The kit list is short but every item is load-bearing — grip at the hands, sure feet on stairs, and a uniform that makes a crew look worth trusting with a household.
The sector
Gloves are the signature decision: removals wants grip and dexterity with enough palm protection for edges and straps — coated grip gloves (EN 388 abrasion-focused rather than maximum cut) that hold a wardrobe on stairs without marking polished furniture; crews carry clean pairs for handling upholstery and antiques. Footwear is the stairs question: cushioned S1P trainers or mid-cuts with genuinely grippy soles — the load changes your balance, wet drives and worn stair carpet do the rest, and the sector's injuries are slips-under-load far more than dropped-object impacts. Ankle support earns its keep here as much as any trainer-vs-boot debate.
The rest is honest simplicity: stretch trousers with knee-pad pockets (loads get rested on knees more than any manual says), embroidered polos and softshells because the crew IS the company on a customer's drive (the doorstep logic at household scale), weather shells for kerbside loading, and back-support belts only as comfort items — they're not PPE and don't change safe-lifting limits, which training and two-person carries own. Storage-side staff add the warehouse basics in the container stacks.
The list
| Item | The spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Grip gloves + clean pairs | Coated grip, dexterity-first | Hold the load, spare the furniture |
| Footwear | Cushioned S1P with real sole grip | Stairs under load are the workplace |
| Trousers | Stretch, knee-pad pockets | Loads rest on knees hourly |
| Uniform layer | Embroidered polos/softshells | The crew is the brand in someone's home |
| Weather kit | Packable shells, layers | Kerbside loading happens in everything |
Management notes
Questions
Coated grip gloves with good dexterity — abrasion-resistant palms that hold furniture and strap-work without slipping — plus clean fabric pairs for upholstery, mattresses and antiques. Grip protects both the spine (surer holds) and the customer's furniture (no gouges).
Most firms specify safety footwear — commonly cushioned S1P trainers or mid-cuts — but the priority is sole grip and comfort on stairs under load, because slips are the sector's real injury pattern. Heavy rigid boots that compromise stair feel are the wrong buy.
The evidence says no — they're comfort items, not PPE, and they don't raise safe lifting limits. Injury prevention in removals comes from technique training, two-person carries, mechanical aids and honest job assessment; the belt is optional padding, never a licence.
Send the roles and headcount — we'll come back with a kit list per role, embroidered and priced.