Health & Safety Practices To Implement On Your Quarry Site

Quarries can be dangerous places. In truth, the chance of you being exposed to safety, health and welfare risks are high, with the potential physical and health hazards found in quarries an extensive list. This post aims to provide much greater protection against the perceived risks.



PPE & Safety Equipment

An effective health and safety measure across several industries, but especially on quarry sites, is the implementation of personal protective equipment, (PPE), and safety equipment. Employers have a responsibility to provide their workers with appropriate safety equipment, including hearing protection, respiratory protection, hard hats, steel toe-capped boots, seat belts for all vehicles and transport, gloves, safety harnesses and lanyards. Workers should be provided with the appropriate health and safety and PPE equipment, and are expected to wear the necessary equipment whenever on site.

High Visibility Clothing

Greatly reducing the risk of accidents or injury occurring on-site, high-visibility clothing is essential in protecting employees across quarry sites. High-vis clothing is typically luminescent green or orange vests, t-shirts, trousers, jackets, hats, overalls or a combination of all. The colour and quantity of high-visibility clothing required will depend entirely on the conditions and lighting throughout your quarry site, with full visibility often required in darker settings.

Pedestrian Routes

In spaces where pedestrian routes cannot be provided, quarry operators will supply a designated pedestrian access route. It’s important to remember, however, when there is no pedestrian route available, access should be by vehicle only, or, where access is essential, work must be carried out under strict quarry protocols.

Vehicle Inspections

Any employee who is tasked with operating a vehicle on-site is required to carry out a daily check and inspection of their vehicle, to ensure everything is up to code. This thorough inspection will typically involve the following:

●     Tyres

●     Reversing and visibility aids

●     Lights

●     Access steps

●     Oil and water levels

●     Brakes

Carrying out vital vehicle inspections will reduce the risk of breakdowns, or potential accidents occurring on-site, as well as ensuring operations are efficient, consistent and uninterrupted.

Safety Issues

As suggested, identifying potential issues on-site, whether regarding the operation of your vehicle fleet or the health & safety protocols in place, will ultimately improve the safety of your quarry site, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of accidents. To improve safety further, any defects or potential issues with safety should be logged and reported as part of your inspection report. It’s vital you always report defects or safety issues, as this will help reduce the risk of accidents for everyone on-site.

At William Thompson & Son, we’ve always had an outstanding attitude towards health and safety and industrial maintenance. All our machinery is inspected and maintained regularly to ensure it’s both safe and reliable. We’re proud to be helping the local economy and we do everything we can to contribute to the community. Contact us today.