Safe Quarry - Health and Safety Authority

PART 6 EXCAVATIONS INCLUDING (QUARRY FACES), TIPS AND LAGOONS
Recording and reviewing the appraisal
Records of the conclusions of appraisals are required
to be kept available at the quarry.The conclusions of
the appraisal should be included in the safety statement.
Where the excavation, tip or lagoon is considered
to be unsafe, or likely to become unsafe in the
near future,there should be a clear recommendation
as to what action should be taken and when. Little
needs to be recorded in other cases where the
appraisal is to be followed by a geotechnical assessment.
Where there is no significant hazard, the detail
should be sufficient to explain the conclusions and
how they were reached.
The appraisal should be reviewed at appropriate
intervals and in particular in light of:
significant changes to working methods;
experience of the geology and hydrology on site;
changes outside the site which significantly
increase the hazard, for example, the
construction of houses or roadways near the
boundary;
evidence of significant failure or movement; or
discovery of incorrect assumptions or errors in
the appraisal.
53. GEOTECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
(Regulation 55)
55.
(1) In this Part “geotechnical assessment” means an
assessment carried out by a geotechnical specialist
identifying and assessing all factors liable to affect
the stability and safety of a proposed or existing
excavation, tip or lagoon and shall include -
(a) preparation by or under the supervision of
the geotechnical specialist or, as appropriate,
consideration by the geotechnical specialist
of the documents and particulars specified in
Schedule 3,
(b) the conclusions of the geotechnical specialist
as to -
(i) the safety and stability of the existing or
proposed excavation, tip or lagoon being
assessed, including his or her conclusions as
to whether the excavation, tip or lagoon
represents a significant hazard by way of
instability or movement,
(ii) whether any remedial works are required in
relation to the excavation, tip or lagoon being
assessed and the date by which such works
should be completed,
(iii) the date by which the next geotechnical
assessment should take place, and
Figure 44: Illustration of the terms ‘overall
face angle’,‘individual face’,‘toe’ and ‘crest’.
Crest
D
Crest
A
Bench
B
Toe
A - Individual Face Height
B - Overall Quarry Height
C - Individual Bench Width
D - Individual Face Angle
E - Overall Face Angle
Individual
Face
Overall Face Angle
Toe
E
C
78
SAFE QUARRY GUIDELINES TO THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (QUARRIES) REGULATIONS 2008