Quarry industry beats 'hard target'

E165:05 15 December 2005

The quarry industry has celebrated surpassing its 'Hard Target' in reducing all reportable injuries by 52% in five years from a baseline of 655 to 317 in the reporting year 2004/05.

In an event held to celebrate the achievement, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) Commissioner, Hugh Robertson, congratulated all those who had helped reach the target. He said: "Well done to everybody in the industry who has risen to the challenge of the 'Hard Target'- to cut reportable injuries by 50% by 2005. The quarry industry has shown that a competent management and a genuinely involved workforce will deliver targets making it an exemplar to other traditional heavy industries."

The achievement has included significant progress against each of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) priority programmes - falls from height; slips and trips injuries; manual handling injuries; and work place transport injuries.

Helen Turner of HSE's Manufacturing Sector called on industry to recommit to a further 50% reduction in reportable incidents by 2010. She said: "In order for injury reduction to be sustained into the future we must ensure not only that we share a common vision of where we want to be, but also that it is the right vision, and we know the steps we must take to get us there together. The thrust of HSE's efforts over the last five years has used the overall concepts of commitment, competence and involvement and these remain key underpinning requirements."

The Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee are adopting the title of 'Target Zero - a World Class Industry' for this next stage.

Other speakers highlighted areas of activity, which remain priorities if injury reduction is to be sustained. These include occupational ill health, workforce involvement, working effectively with contractors and hauliers, equipment design, gaining and supporting improvements in small and medium sized businesses, and maintaining emphasis on the competence of all who work in the quarry industry.

Notes to editors

• The event was held at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in central London on Tuesday 29 November 2005 and was attended by members of the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee and senior industry representatives who influence individual trade unions, companies and trade associations, universities, professional institutions and training bodies. Further information is available on www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/committees/qnjac/index.htm
• The Government's "Revitalising Health and Safety" Strategy is about injecting new impetus into health and safety in all workplaces. In June 2000, the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee adopted the 'Hard Target' of halving the number of incidents in the industry by 2005. Bill Callaghan launched the 'Hard Target' initiative at HSE's London headquarters on 17 July 2000. Further information on the Hard Target and Target Zero can be found on HSE's web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/programme.htm respectively.
• Major injuries have also reduced by 36% whilst over three day injuries have decreased by 55% in the five years to 2004/05. HSE's statistical reporting year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
• The quarry industry is diverse, covering coal, industrial minerals, kaolin, ball clay, brick clay, barites, gypsum, silica sands, fluorspar, china stone, slate, fullers' earth, limestone, dolomite, basalt, and aggregates. It is an essential part of the British economy as quarry products are used not only for construction and road building, but also in the majority of manufacturing such as paper, glass, rock wool, ceramics, pottery, paints, plastics, rubber, medicines, toothpaste and cosmetics, agriculture and food. It consists of some 25,000 direct employees, 25,000 contractors and daily 35-40,000 lorry drivers.
• Speakers at the event included HSC Commissioner, Hugh Rober ts ton; Chris Eaton from Geotechnical Developments (UK) Ltd; Paul Tanton from Hanson; Richard Gouldstone from Aggregate Industries; Alex Pearce, President, University of Exeter in Cornwall; Jeff Smith , President , Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining; Rob and Sue Drohan of Ace Conveyor Equipment Ltd; Allen Smith of Marubeni-Komatsu Ltd; Richard Gaunt of Rio Tint yo and Helen Turner from HSE.

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