The UK Mineral Products Association (MPA) has launched two new sector-specific pocket guides, for managers and employees, to help them navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two A5 size guides are designed to support members in keeping employees, contractors, suppliers and customers safe as site operations adapt to the restrictions of COVID-19 and become COVID secure.
They draw on expert industry advice and techniques and have been prepared by the MPA’s Health and Safety Committee. The MPA says that a comprehensive Technical Handbook will be available later this week and further resources, including posters, are anticipated.
The guides are based around ’10 Rules of Engagement’ designed to defend employees at work.
The Managers guide contains guidance for local managers to assist them as they prepare workplaces for start-up or continuing operation. Outlining the steps managers need to take to help everyone on-site maintain social distancing and to mitigate the hazards associated with COVID-19, it includes both practical measures and recommendations on how to reinforce safe behaviours. Copies should be made available to all managers with responsibility for operations and premises.
The employees’ guide uses relatable graphics and is designed for members to circulate to employees to help them to understand the behaviours that they need to adopt to keep themselves, their families, colleagues and the public safe as they go about their daily work. In addition to the ’10 Rules of Engagement’, the guide covers activities from the time they leave home, through the working day and to their safe return.
The MPA says the two pocket guides are complementary and mirror each other.
The Technical Handbook is aimed at directors and managers. It will provide guidance on operating safely and provide links/references to useful resources, including those from Government and the HSE.
The resources are designed to stand alone, or, companies may wish to take the resources and use them as a basis for their own plans and communications.
All documents are available on Safequarry.com and Safeprecast.com and will be regularly reviewed and updated as new guidance and information emerge.
“Following this guidance will help enable the essential mineral products industry to continue to supply materials to the construction, manufacturing and other key strategic sectors and activities as economic activity increases,” said MPA chief executive Nigel Jackson. “This new package of resources demonstrates how the industry is already adapting to be COVID secure. We will update the guidance as new practices and innovations emerge recognising that these are early days and that as we all learn to live and work with the virus, new ideas will emerge from within and outside of the sector.”
