MPA launches 2011 Stay Safe campaign
Mineral Products Association launches annual Stay Safe campaign with warning on dangers of teenage trespass
THE Mineral Products Association’s annual Stay Safe campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the danger of trespassing in quarries, was launched ahead of the May bank holiday weekend and will continue throughout the summer.
Stay Safe messages will be reinforced at a wide variety of community events run by industry operators as part of their ongoing community-engagement programme.
A recent MPA survey on trespass received more than 400 responses from quarry managers and showed that, over the last 12 months, 54% of respondents had experienced problems with trespass, while more than 26% said it was a constant or significant worry. The survey also highlighted that although it was adults who were the worst offenders, it was teenage trespass that was of most concern.
‘Adults who enter quarries while walking, dog walking or out of general curiosity may not appreciate that they are not simply putting themselves at risk, they are also setting a bad example to younger people and leaving holes in fences which put them at serious risk,’ said Elizabeth Clements of the MPA. ‘Our message is, unless you are invited on an organized visit by a quarry operator, stay safe – stay out of quarries.’
Over the last two years six teenage boys have lost their lives in the UK in active or disused quarries, and the current campaign uses hard-hitting videos about the effect these accidents have had on the boys’ family and friends.
A Facebook page, ‘Stay Safe…Stay Out of Quarries’, where the videos can be viewed is being promoted as part of the campaign. It is hoped that by offering the chance to win an iPad in a prize draw for anyone who is a member of the Facebook group on 31 July, young people will be encouraged to share the page with their friends.
MPA chief executive Nigel Jackson said: ‘Our members are doing all they can in terms of fencing and raising awareness. We appeal to parents, teachers and anyone else who influences young people, to help us ensure that the message gets across.’
