BAA safety scheme gains momentum

Nine more member companies successfully complete Assessment of Operating Standards Scheme

AT this year’s British Aggregates Association (BAA) annual general meeting in June, a record number of nine certificates were awarded to member companies that had successfully completed the Association’s Assessment of Operating Standards Scheme.

The successful companies included Huntsmans Quarries, Henry Streeter (Sand & Ballast), Johnston Quarry Group, Middleton Aggregates, Tillicoultry Quarries and Raymond Brown Minerals & Recycling.

The awards were made by Eric Darlow MBE (centre of photo), who has chaired the awarding panel since its inception in 2007. The scheme ensures continual improvement of all aspects of health and safety and has been endorsed and recommended by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee (QNJAC).

During the past year member involvement in the scheme has greatly increased with well in excess of a third of all BAA members having now signed up. Since the scheme’s inception 38 assessments have been conducted, ranging from one-day assessments of small quarries through to larger operations which have taken several days to assess.

The BAA is particularly pleased with the scheme because, to date, no company has withdrawn from the process and all that embark upon it do eventually gain certification.

The BAA and HSE are currently working together on a pilot intervention strategy scheme which should further enhance the standard of health and safety within small and medium-sized quarrying companies.

In a further initiative, the Association is also investigating extension of the scheme to larger multi-site companies, so that it can be of benefit to all BAA members.