Tarmac Staff Staying Safe
Week-long safety event highlights some recent product innovations
Improving the safety of quarry workers remains a key priority for the industry, with quarry operators continuously seeking ways to drive down accident and injury rates across their sites. And, as part of Tarmac’s ongoing commitment to both promoting and sharing best practice in health and safety management, a week-long safety event was held recently at their Holme Hall Quarry, near Maltby.
The event comprised a range of interactive safety activities presented by both in-house staff and suppliers to the company, including well-known names such as Komatsu, Michelin, Rema Tip-Top, Siemens and the Mines Rescue Service.
Some 700 Tarmac staff from the Central Region attended the event, which also included an ‘Innovations’ marquee where Intersafe UK were showing a range of individual, tailor-made hearing protectors suitable for quarry applications. These custom-moulded earplugs – known as Elacin otoplastics – not only prevent occupational hearing loss and excessive attenuation for the individual, but are also said to provide optimal wearing comfort.
The otoplastics are fitted and produced by injecting liquid impression material into the ears, so that the hearing protectors assume the shape of the ear canal, giving the user a comfortable fit.
The liquid material solidifies after five minutes and the cast is then removed from the ear for further processing in a specialized laboratory. The hearing protectors are usually delivered to the wearer within 15 days and come with a four-year performance guarantee.
Another innovation was presented by Spanish explosives suppliers MAXAM, in the form of a borehole camera which has been developed to help shotfirers check for any potential hazards prior to charging.
Although the equipment demonstrated is still under development, it provided a clear view down to the water in the bottom of the test hole. It is understood the next version will be unique in that it will comprise a wireless camera, wireless inspection goggles and a rechargeable battery pack specifically designed for ease of use. It is currently anticipated that this product will be available for official launch at the end of 2009.
Of the outdoor activities, it was the demonstration of the UK’s first walking-floor trailer, designed specifically for asphalt delivery, that caught the eye. Although commonplace in North America, the first unit of this design in the UK was developed 18 months ago by Environmental Trailer Hire Ltd, Keith Walking Floor and JBC Trailers Ltd.
The key safety feature of this truck is that it allows high-speed horizontal unloading of bulk products, thereby avoiding the instability associated with tipping bodies.
Also, in conveying asphalt, the truck can deliver a gentle flow of material into the paving machine’s hopper, helping to reduce the incidence of overloading the equipment.
The ‘non-tipping’ tipper is fully operational from the driver cab and has safety cameras around the vehicle to ensure horizontal discharge is carried out in a safe, controlled manner. Another key advantage of the truck is that it can carry and unload more bulk material, thanks to a 45% increased payload over 8-wheeler tippers.
Another product designed to help hauliers operate at maximum efficiency within legal payloads was presented by Barry Napper & Company, who provided details of their first on-board weighing system fitted to a truckmixer to allow the accurate delivery of part loads of ready-mixed concrete.
