UK aggregates industry bodies the Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee (QNJAC) have jointly launched updated versions of Safequarry and the QNJAC websites at the industry’s Strategic Safety Forum held on March 1.
Both websites are freely available and allow users to review or download key health and safety information and resources which are of relevance to the industry.
Safequarry provides an important central hub which includes a wide range of health and safety information, links, tools and videos that are relevant to all product sectors within the mineral products industry.
The QNJAC website holds guidance for quarries that has been created by working groups comprised of industry specialists, this guidance has been HSE approved. QNJAC is a tripartite body comprising quarrying and extractive industry representatives of employers; employees; the government regulator (Health & Safety Executive, HSE); professional membership bodies; trade unions; and industry training/educational organisations.
Partners the MPA and QNJAC say the importance of a collaborative approach to health and safety is recognised across the mineral products industry.
They add that this is reflected in organisations such as the MPA, the QNJAC, the Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC), the British Aggregates Association (BAA), and the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) working together in a Strategic Safety Forum that facilitates initiatives and complementary activities that will help make our industry safer for all.
Jon Prichard, the recently appointed chief executive of MPA, said: “Ensuring that key health and safety material, such as the QNJAC Guidance, the MPA’s ‘Sharing good practice guides’, incident alerts and other resources available through Safequarry, is easily accessible is vital.
“If we are going to be able to drive up standards and performance in the industry, then we must be able to deliver and promote these resources effectively to as wide a cross section of companies and individuals as possible. The relaunch of both the Safequarry and the QNJAC websites are important steps in this process, with both now incorporating a more user friendly and ‘searchable’ format.”
Ben Williams, chair of the IQ and QNJAC, said: “One of the key focuses of QNJAC is to help promote even greater collaboration between IQ, the MPQC, the MPA and QNJAC. As a committee, QNJAC shows the value of cross sector working with the input of the HSE, Trade Unions, industry employers, trade associations (including MPA and BAA) and professional bodies. The joint launching of both websites reinforces this commitment of the industry to maintain the highest standards of safety culture in the sector.
“We will achieve more as an industry by playing to our strengths and being committed to making the industry a safer place through the raising of training standards and competence.”
Williams added that ensuring key information such as the QNJAC Guidance, MPA’s extensive range of resources including Vision Zero and ‘The Fatal 6′ and other resource are easily accessible and promoted across the industry is essential if it is to be successful in raising its standards still further.”
