Safe Quarry - Health and Safety Authority

PART 6 EXCAVATIONS INCLUDING (QUARRY FACES), TIPS & LAGOONS
49. INTRODUCTION TO THIS PART
Persons in or near a quarry should not be at risk due
to the collapse of a quarry face or from the
movement of all or part of an excavation, tip or
lagoon. The appraisals and assessments, which are
explained in the following Sections, are tools to
ensure that this general objective is achieved. The
flowchart in figure 43 explains the relationship
between the appraisal and assessment requirements.
Excavations
The term ‘excavation’ for the purpose of this
guidance, includes any place at a quarry where
minerals are or have been extracted. In particular, it
includes the floor, benches, faces and sides of a
quarry and any other incline, for example, access
ramps and other cuttings which are made for the
extraction of minerals.
Tips
All tips, including stockpiles are covered in this
Section.Tips will include, accumulations or deposits
of materials used in connection with the quarry,spoil
heaps and all material stored in the quarry for
refilling the excavation or landscaping the site after
excavation, stockpiles of materials for later
processing or sale, amenity and soil bunds.
Lagoons
Lagoon means any natural or artificial pond or other
water filled excavations at a quarry to treat the water
at the quarry where sunlight, bacterial action and
oxygen work to purify waste water and also include
the storage or ponding of other wastewaters,
sludges and liquid wastes.
"geotechnical specialist" means a professional
engineer or professional geologist who -
(a) has 3 or more years relevant experience in soil
mechanics, rock mechanics or excavation
engineering,
(b) is competent to perform a geotechnical
analysis to determine the hazard and risk
arising from the excavation or tip being
assessed, and
(c) has attained a position of professional
responsibility and is accredited by a relevant
professional organisation;
"hazard" in relation to an excavation, tip or lagoon
means having the potential to cause harm to the
safety, health or welfare of any person;
50. GENERAL DUTY TO ENSURE SAFETY OF
EXCAVATIONS, TIPS AND LAGOONS
(Regulation 52)
52. The operator shall ensure that excavations
(including quarry faces), tips and lagoons are
designed, constructed (in relation to tips and lagoons),
operated and maintained so as to ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, that instability or movement
which is likely to give rise to a risk to the safety, health
and welfare of any person is avoided.
All excavations, tips and lagoons must be designed,
constructed and maintained to ensure their safety.
The measures taken to reduce the risk should be
proportionate to the hazard posed. In the case of a
very small face, tip, or lagoon this will usually be
minimal. While a full geotechnical assessment will
only be required on certain excavations, tips or
lagoons the operator must ensure that they are all
properly designed and constructed.
The design and operating procedures for excavations,
tips and lagoons must aim to minimise the risk
to persons at the quarry and those who may be
affected by its activities.This includes persons at the
quarry who need access to potentially hazardous
areas for the purposes of carrying out inspections
and assessments. Key operating instructions and
safe procedures must be set out in the excavations,
tips and lagoons operating procedures.
The inspection scheme should include the data
obtained from the design, normal operations,
inspection, appraisal and assessment work.
Any excavation, tip or lagoon, which move are
potentially unsafe. Appropriate procedures should
be implemented immediately to determine the risk
and required remedial action. This will involve
reappraisal or reassessment as soon as possible.
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SAFE QUARRY GUIDELINES TO THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (QUARRIES) REGULATIONS 2008