Tarmac’s Dene Quarry achieves PRIME status

Derbyshire limestone quarry becomes latest site to receive Professional Recognition in Mineral Extraction from IQ

TARMAC’s Dene Quarry, in Derbyshire, has become the latest mineral extractives operation to achieve Professional Recognition in Mineral Extraction (PRIME) status from the Institute of Quarrying (IQ).

IQ’s PRIME initiative promotes continuing professional development (CPD) at all levels within the mineral extractives sector, with the objective of achieving a fully competent workforce by identifying and providing continuous career progression pathways.

Dene Quarry is a limestone aggregate site situated close to the historic village of Cromford, near Matlock. Extraction operations restarted at the quarry approximately two years ago and ongoing site developments have been acknowledged by IQ, with the site achieving PRIME status at the start of December 2017.

IQ’s chief executive officer, James Thorne, said: ‘This is great news for everyone at Dene Quarry and reflects the importance placed on professional development at an operational level within the quarry, as well as at the highest levels within Tarmac.’

Martin Riley, Tarmac’s senior vice-president and Deputy Chairman of IQ, said: 'We’re extremely proud of this recognition and my congratulations go to the site team for their great work. It’s fantastic to see how colleagues from all disciplines have been supported to develop key technical skills and competencies at every stage of their career, and IQ has been influential in supporting this progress.'

Andy Caile is the manager of Dene Quarry. He entered the industry as an apprentice quarry fitter and was one of the first to register for Technical Member of the Institute of Quarrying (TMIQ) in 2014.

Mr Caile (pictured), who has now completed more than 1,000 hours of CPD, said: ‘Everything I’ve learned through the CPD scheme I’ve applied to the site. When I was appointed quarry manager it was the start of a completely new challenge, but as a team we’ve focused on getting things right.

‘Restoration work is taking place at the site; signage has been added; traffic management runs smoothly; and crushed rock sales have increased to 26,000 tonnes a month. We’re a small team but run a busy operation, and it’s an honour that Dene Quarry has achieved this accolade.’

James Thorne continued: ‘Andy is a prime example that you don’t need to enter the industry with a quarrying background. His journey of development and learning through the CPD scheme has given him the skills, experience and professionalism to manage his own quarry operations. He has done an exceptional job at Dene Quarry.’