Safe Quarry - Health and Safety Authority

PART 6 EXCAVATIONS INCLUDING (QUARRY FACES), TIPS AND LAGOONS
50.2 Working Excavations, Tips, and Lagoons
Excavations, tips and lagoons should be developed
in accordance with the design. Procedures should
be in place to ensure proper control of any design
changes.These may be included in the safety statement
or in the excavations, tips and lagoons procedures.
Working methods should avoid creating
vertical faces or overhangs which constitute a risk
of collapse. Re-profiling or digging material from a
tip also needs particular attention as it can lead to
instability.
Extra care is required when extracting material
below water due to the risk of collapse. Areas liable
to be affected are hazardous and should be treated
appropriately.
Additional precautions may be required to prevent
risks arising where tipping and removal from a stockpile
take place simultaneously.For example,a tipping
area must not be undermined by removal of material.
Stockpiles
It is important to remember that the legal term ‘tip’
includes stockpiles. These can be as hazardous as
other tips, and so they too need to be properly
designed and operated. The excavations, tips and
lagoons safe operating procedures are the key to this.
Frequent geotechnical assessment may be necessary
for very large potentially hazardous stockpiles.
Walls or other supports provided to contain stockpiles
should be designed by a competent person and
considered as part of the stockpile during appraisal or
assessment. Stockpiles which are not free draining
should be provided with additional drainage.
Market conditions may affect the size of a stockpile.
If this happens the stability of the stockpile should
be reassessed.
Adjacent stockpiles can have an effect on each
other,particularly where they overlap.The adequacy
of traffic routes for vehicles should also be considered
when planning the position and size of stockpiles.
In particular, the risk of collision can be
minimised by ensuring a clear view for drivers.
51. OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR
EXCAVATION, TIPS AND LAGOONS
(Regulation 53)
53. The operator shall ensure that suitable operating
procedures are in place for the safe operation of
excavations, tips and lagoons and that such
procedures, in particular, specify -
(a) the manner in which such activities are to be
carried out,
(b) the nature and extent of supervision of such
activities, and
(c) the protective measures to be taken during
such activities to ensure the safety, health
and welfare of any person and the safety
and stability of the excavation,tip or lagoon.
These procedures are essential for the proper
management of excavations, tips and lagoons.They
are the practical measures to ensure the safety of
persons in the vicinity. They should offer straightforward
practical guidance.
The frequency of inspection of excavations, tips and
lagoons is covered by the inspection scheme
required under Section 16 of this guidance. These
inspection arrangements may be incorporated into
the operating procedures.
If a geotechnical specialist has been involved in the
design, or has carried out a geotechnical assessment,
their recommendations should be taken on
board when preparing safe operating procedures.
Operating procedures should specify the manner in
which the excavation, tip or lagoon will be
constructed and managed to ensure safety. They
need to address, where relevant:
(a) the maximum depth/height;
(b) the preparation necessary (for example the
standard of foundations required for a tip);
(c) the provision of drainage (particularly under, in
and on tips) and how it is installed, maintained
and inspected;
(d) the height and slope of faces and the thickness
of the layers in which a tip is constructed;
(e) the type of plant and machinery used;
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SAFE QUARRY GUIDELINES TO THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (QUARRIES) REGULATIONS 2008