New health and safety resource ‘could save lives’
HAVING succeeded in cutting accidents by half over a period of five years, Quarry Products Association members are now committed to achieving a further 50% reduction by 2009. To help achieve this goal, the QPA has led a major project, with the support of its members and a range of other partners, including the British Aggregates Association, to develop a dynamic new package of resources which is expected revolutionize the way the quarrying industry shares health and safety knowledge.
The £224,000 project, which has been part-funded from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund via the MIST programme, has already delivered the first two elements of the package – a hard copy guide and a DVD.
Demand for the printed guide, based on the ideas and innovations from the annual QPA Health & Safety Best Practice Awards, has already exceeded the initial 3,000 print run. It is accompanied by a DVD that includes 64 video clips showing how some of these innovative solutions have been applied in plants and quarries throughout the UK.
Martin Isles, director of health & safety for the QPA, said: ‘This guide is for everyone – not just management. It contains a fund of ideas which are often very simple and can be applied to a range of common problems. Taking the time to thumb through a copy could spark an idea that improves efficiency and prevents a serious incident.’
The third element of the package, a web site incorporating these best-practice ideas plus toolbox talks and, of particular importance, an incident alert reporting system, is soon to be launched at www.safequarry.com.
Commenting on this aspect of the package, Hanson’s national health & safety manager, Colin Nottage, said: ‘The system will send an automatic email to registered users when a new alert has been submitted, guiding them towards the web site for further information. It will make a significant difference to the way that we communicate across the industry – and allow us to each learn from the experiences of others.’
