Updated Safequarry and QNJAC websites launched
MPA and QNJAC launch updated health and safety websites at industry safety forum
THE importance of a collaborative approach to health and safety is recognized across the mineral products industry. This is reflected in organizations such as the Mineral Products Association (MPA), the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee (QNJAC), the Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC), the British Aggregates Association (BAA), and the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) working together in a Strategic Safety Forum that facilitates initiatives and complementary activities to help make the industry safer for all.
It is in this spirit of collaboration that the MPA and QNJAC jointly launched updated versions of the Safequarry and QNJAC websites at the industry’s Strategic Safety Forum today. Both websites are freely available and allow users to review or download key health and safety information and resources that are of relevance to the industry.
Safequarry provides an important central hub which includes a wide range of health and safety information, links, tools and videos that are relevant to all product sectors within the mineral products industry. The QNJAC website holds HSE-approved guidance for quarries that has been created by working groups comprised of industry specialists.
Jon Prichard, recently appointed chief executive of the MPA, said: ‘The MPA Health and Safety Awards were the first public event that I attended in my new role. I was very impressed by the huge amount of energy and enthusiasm that was being devoted to health and safety within the industry, with some really innovative ideas being shown.
‘The theme for the day was ‘Safer by Sharing’ and I found that this was reflected not only in many of the projects highlighted in the days programme, but also in discussions with people from across the industry. I am confident that everyone who attended the event will have identified some innovation that could be applied or adapted to make their own workplace safer.
‘Ensuring that key health and safety material, such as the QNJAC Guidance, the MPA’s ‘Sharing good practice guides’, incident alerts and other resources available through Safequarry, is easily accessible is vital.
‘If we are going to be able to drive up standards and performance in the industry, then we must be able to deliver and promote these resources effectively to as wide a cross-section of companies and individuals as possible. The relaunch of the Safequarry and QNJAC websites is an important step in this process, with both now incorporating a more user-friendly and ‘searchable’ format.’
Ben Williams, chair of IQ and QNJAC, said: ‘One of the key focuses of QNJAC is to help promote even greater collaboration between IQ, the MPQC, the MPA, and QNJAC. As a committee, QNJAC shows the value of cross-sector working with the input of the HSE, trade unions, industry employers, trade associations (including MPA and BAA) and professional bodies.
'The joint launching of both websites reinforces this commitment of the industry to maintain the highest standards of safety culture in the sector We will achieve more as an industry by playing to our strengths and being committed to making the industry a safer place through the raising of training standards and competence.
‘Ensuring that key information such as the QNJAC Guidance, the MPA’s extensive range of resources, including Vision Zero and ‘The Fatal 6’, and indeed other resource are easily accessible and promoted across the industry is essential if we are going to be successful in raising our standards still further. We are delighted, therefore, that we were able to launch these two websites at the Strategic Safety Forum.’
The commitment to ‘Safer by Sharing’ is one of the core values of Vision Zero – Collaboration and Sharing – Building effective relationships & sharing knowledge and good practices. The goal of Vision Zero is to eliminate the hazards from the mineral products industry that are responsible for 94% of fatalities and the most serious injuries.
