Safe Quarry - Health and Safety Authority

PART 8 GENERAL HEALTH HAZARDS
57. HEALTH HAZARDS
(Regulation 59)
59.
(1) The operator, where persons are liable to be
exposed to any chemical, physical or biological
hazard to such an extent as is liable to be
dangerous to health, shall ensure that
appropriate preventive measures are taken at the
quarry against that exposure.
(2) The preventive measures referred to in paragraph
(1) shall include -
(a) wherever possible, the replacement of a
hazardous substance by a harmless or less
hazardous substance,
(b) technical measures applied to the plant,
machinery, equipment or process, or
(c) where it is not possible to comply with
subparagraph (a) or (b), other effective
measures, including the use of personal
protective equipment and protective clothing.
Workplace health covers a range of topics relating
to the effect of work on health and wellbeing and
vice versa and the emphasis is on prevention of illhealth
due to work involving possible exposure to
chemical, physical or biological hazards. Workers
need to be able to work in an environment which
does not compromise but rather protects and
promotes their health. Also a worker’s individual
health and wellbeing should not impact on work
quality and productivity.
Workplace health includes addressing physical
issues such as manual handling and ergonomics,
which if not properly managed can result in back
and upper limb injuries. Other physical agents such
as vibration, noise, non-ionizing radiation etc must
be considered and managed by the operator so that
the health of workers is protected.
It also includes traditional workplace diseases such
as dermatitis, asthma and noise induced hearing
loss. In recent year’s psycho-social topics such as
stress, bullying and behaviour at work have
assumed an increased importance in protecting
workers health and wellbeing.
The last line of defense in relation to protecting
workers health should be the consideration of
personal protective equipment and clothing.
58. ATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCES
(Regulation 60)
60. The operator shall ensure that persons working
outdoors at the quarry are protected against atmospheric
conditions that could affect their safety and
health.
This requires the operator to protect workers from
atmospheric conditions which could adversely affect
workers health and safety while working outdoors.
This might rang from slippery conditions due to frost
underfoot to possible effects of extended exposure
to sunlight. This would also include possible health
and safety effects arising from conditions such as
excessive cold, heat, humidity etc. It would also
extend to protecting workers from risks to their
safety and health arising from heavy fog, low cloud,
downpours of rain, sleet or snow all of which cold
effect visibility; risks arising from storm conditions
such as thunder, lightning and very strong winds
would also need consideration.
59. DISPOSAL OF WASTE
(Regulation 61)
61. The operator shall ensure that waste from the
quarry is not -
(a) destroyed, or
(b) otherwise disposed of
in a manner liable to be injurious to the safety
and health of persons.
This would cover a wide range of issues, everything
from the destruction or disposal of waste packaging
from explosives (dealt with earlier) to the destruction
or disposal of waste oils,filters,brake pads,tyres,
chemical drums, chemicals, waste water, sanitary
waste, first aid waste, canteen waste, etc..
60. STATIONARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION
ENGINES AND EXHAUST GASES
(Regulation 62)
62. The operator shall ensure that -
(a) no stationary internal combustion engine is used
at the quarry in any enclosed or confined place,
unless specific provision is made for conducting the
exhaust gases from the engine into the open air, or
SAFE QUARRY GUIDELINES TO THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (QUARRIES) REGULATIONS 2008 85