Toolbox Talk Series
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) will carry out a two week quarry safety inspection campaign between March 14th and March 25th, 2022.
The focus of the campaign is on safe machinery operation, machinery guarding and maintenance activities.
There are approximately 500 quarry developments operating throughout Ireland, with two main types of quarry activity taking place – rock quarries and sand and gravel pit quarries – both of which use heavy and large machinery.
In the ten year period 2012-2021, quarrying, mining and associated manufacturing activities in the industry accounted for 10 work-related fatalities in Ireland.
HSA inspectors will be focusing on they key hazards that exist when operating quarry machinery or while carrying out maintenance in quarries.
Inspectors will also focus on ensuring that safe work practices and proactive measures are in place to reduce the risk of incidents, including serious or fatal injury.
During this campaign, HSA inspectors will be providing information, advice, and making employers aware of resources to help them reduce the risk of incidents involving machinery, particularly during machinery maintenance.
In support of the “Spring Quarry Safety Campaign”, Dynamic Safety Solutions have prepared and made available a series of Tool Box Talks for Quarry Owners and Health & Safety Managers to help carry out proactive measures in machinery safety.
There have been numerous fatalities and serious injuries related to concrete block production equipment. Failure to adhere correctly to isolation procedures can have devastating consequences.
Blockages can occur in crushers, screens, conveyors, hoppers, screws and silos. Clearing blockages can result in serious or fatal injuries if correct procedures are not adhered to.
Concrete batching plants pose many hazards if maintenance work or cleaning is being carried out. It is essential that a safe system of work and isolation procedure is in place to minimise the unexpected or accidental start-up of the plant or equipment.
Hazards include: Unexpected or accidental start-up of conveyor during maintenance or cleaning / Entanglement in dangerous moving parts and nip points
Garages and workshops have many different hazards present due to the broad range of activities that take place.
Falling from any height can result in serious injury or death. Many tasks, particularly maintenance tasks, in quarries require working at height and it is essential that a safe system of work is in place each and every time.
Typically, nearly half of all fatal accidents in quarries involve vehicles at quarries.
Pedestrian safety is an aspect of quarry work that will affect everybody in the quarry at some point during any working day.
We work in a hazardous industry with heavy mobile plant movements, mobile and static processing equipment, work at quarry faces, dust and noise to name a few.
Working with mobile crushing and screening plant can be hazardous to personnel. If correct precautions are not taken during operation, cleaning and maintenance, serious or fatal injuries can occur.
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