Safe Quarry - Health and Safety Authority

PART 3
GENERAL SAFETY PROVISIONS
Lights provided on vehicles should be sufficient to
enable them to be driven safely, but additional
lighting may be required for manoeuvring operations
such as reversing or tipping.
Where a person is exposed to risks by the failure of
artificial lighting, emergency lighting of an
adequate intensity should be provided where
practicable. Where this is not possible, a personal
lamp should be provided.The safety of security staff
and others who have to move around the quarry at
night must be ensured by an appropriate combination
of floodlights and torches.
Figure 33: Operating a quarry using artificial lighting
31. PREVENTION OF UNAUTHORISED ENTRY
(Regulation 34)
34. The operator shall ensure that -
(a) quarry boundaries are signposted and laid out so
as to be clearly visible and identifiable,
(b) safe means of access and egress at the quarry are
(i) provided and maintained, and
(ii) where appropriate, indicated,
(c) adequate precautions are taken to protect persons
present at, or in the vicinity of, the quarry from
risks that may arise from quarrying operations, and
(d) adequate precautions are taken to prevent
unauthorised entry to the quarry including, where
appropriate, the provision of barriers.
safety and health.This, in respect of quarry operators
includes ensuring, where appropriate, that a barrier
suitable for the purpose of discouraging trespass is
placed around the boundary of the quarry and is
properly maintained. In this context, trespass means
entry to the quarry without the operator’s express or
implied permission or some legal justification.
Barriers are appropriate where it is reasonably
foreseeable that members of the public, including
children,are likely to trespass and could suffer injury
if they did so. There is a significant risk of injury or
death to trespassers at most quarries. Barriers
should always be provided at quarry boundaries
which are near to schools, colleges, shops or significant
numbers of homes. The provision of barriers
needs to be considered as part of the risk assessment
process, and the findings of the assessment
included in the safety statement.
The type of barrier depends on the risks. Where the
risk of public access is low,hedges,stock proof fencing,
bunds, trenches or mounds may be enough. In some
circumstances where the risk of trespass is high
sophisticated metal paling fences will be required.
Trespassing should be actively discouraged by signage
and security measures,incidents reported and appropriate
action taken to prevent further trespass.
Records must be kept to show that barriers have
been appropriately inspected and repaired in accordance
with the scheme of inspection at the quarry.
Even high quality fencing must be checked to see if it
is still up to the job of preventing inadvertent access.
This photograph shows how it shouldn’t be left!
Figure 34: Protecting the boundary of a quarry from
inadvertent access
Employers and the self-employed have a general duty,
under Section 12 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at
Work Act 2005 to ensure they conduct their undertaking
in such a way to ensure, so far as was reasonably
practicable,that persons not in their employment
who may be affected are not exposed to risks to their
SAFE QUARRY GUIDELINES TO THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (QUARRIES) REGULATIONS 2008 51