Office Clearance Checklist: How to Empty a Workspace with Minimal Downtime

At-a-Glance Timeline

1) Pre-Clearance Planning

• ☑ Appoint an internal Clearance Lead and a backup.
• ☑ Create a simple floor plan and list areas (desks, meeting rooms, kitchens, storage, server room).
• ☑ Photograph items/areas and share parking, loading bay, lift/floor details for an accurate quote.
• ☑ Choose a date/time that minimises impact (evening or weekend). LSI can work out-of-hours.

2) Keep, Donate, Recycle, Dispose

• ☑ Tag everything with KEEP / DONATE / RECYCLE / DISPOSE labels.
• ☑ Separate WEEE (electricals) such as monitors, printers, phones for compliant recycling.
• ☑ Box small items (keyboards, cables) and stack near exits to speed loading.

3) IT, Data & Security

• ☑ Back up data and remove/secure data-bearing devices (hard drives, laptops, MFDs).
• ☑ Arrange secure data destruction via your IT provider/approved recycler; keep certificates where applicable.
• ☑ Disable door passes, clear confidential paper and lock archive boxes before collection.

4) Building Access & Health/Safety

• ☑ Reserve loading bay/parking close to the entrance; book lifts if required.
• ☑ Notify reception/security and share any site inductions or access codes.
• ☑ Brief staff to keep escape routes clear during loading.

5) What LSI Does on the Day

• ☑ Arrive on time with a uniformed crew and walk-through the plan by zone.
• ☑ Lift, carry and load furniture, fixtures, packaging and general waste.
• ☑ Segregate materials where possible and take them to licensed facilities for recycling/recovery.
• ☑ Sweep/leave tidy the cleared areas.
• ☑ Issue your Waste Transfer Note (and provide digital copies on request).

6) What We Take (Offices)

• Desks, chairs, pedestals, cupboards, shelving, reception furniture
• Break-out & canteen items (tables, sofas), carpets & flooring off-cuts
• Displays, whiteboards, partitions (non-structural), packaging & general waste
• IT peripherals & non-data electricals for recycling (segregated as WEEE)

7) Items We Can’t Take

We don’t collect hazardous materials such as asbestos, gas cylinders, fuels/oils, paints/solvents, clinical/biological waste, explosives/fireworks or anything that may leak or ignite. If unsure, ask and we’ll advise practical options.

8) Aftercare & Documentation

• ☑ File the Waste Transfer Note with your compliance records.
• ☑ Keep any recycling/weight summaries we provide for your ESG reporting.
• ☑ Book a follow-up collection for snagging items left after the move/refit.

Booking Made Easy

1. Send photos, pickup postcode and any access notes (stairs/parking/lifts).
2. We reply with a fixed quote and an out-of-hours or daytime slot.
3. We load, tidy and issue your Waste Transfer Note.

Service Area

Based in Bathgate, we cover West Lothian and the Glasgow–Edinburgh corridor, including Livingston, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Whitburn, Armadale, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Cumbernauld, Airdrie, Coatbridge, Motherwell, Hamilton, Uddingston and Stepps.