Every year, young people who venture into quarries unsupervised are killed or seriously injured. Last summer, four teenage boys drowned in disused quarries in separate incidents across the UK.
The UK
Stay Safe is supported by the parents of teenagers who have died after entering a quarry uninvited. The teenagers who died were engaged in activities that they and their friends perceived as harmless fun when the fatalities occurred.
“If my son had understood the risk he was taking, he might still be with us today. It’s only through campaigns like Stay Safe that we’ll learn how to protect our kids from danger,” says Tracy Walker, whose 15-year-old son Ryan drowned in a quarry in 2009 while swimming with his friends.
An April 2013 survey by the MPA showed that over half of the quarries and related sites responding experienced problems with trespass in the last year.
The MPA survey also analysed the main motivations for trespass. The most common was theft, usually of cables and fuel, at 55%. Other reasons included recreational activities such as walking (40%); trail and quad bike riding (23%); swimming (22%) ;wildlife spotting (15%) and rock climbing (8%).
“It is worrying enough that adults put their own lives on the line,” says MPA chief executive Nigel Jackson. “But by breaking down fencing and engaging in these activities, they are clearly setting a dangerous example for young people. Through their thoughtless actions, they are potentially exposing young people to the dangers of industrial sites that they then treat as adventure playgrounds.”
Even very strong swimmers can get into difficulty in the extremely cold or deep water often present in quarry lakes, with the added threat of falling rocks, concealed equipment, unexpected currents and pumps operating beneath the surface, and in some limestone quarries, the alkalinity of the water.
Face edges that can give way suddenly, steep drops concealed by vegetation, falling rocks and silt ponds, that can act like quick sand, create hazards for walkers and climbers.
Unstable terrain and moving plant make quarries unsuitable for trial and quad bikes.
“There are many other places to enjoy recreational activities and a sense of adventure without encountering these hidden and unexpected hazards,” says Nigel Jackson.
“I hope that parents, teachers and anyone working with young people can help us get the critical safety message across: please stay safe and stay out of quarries unless you are on a supervised visit.”
