Health and Safety Failings – Quarry safety failings lead to firm’s second fine

Quarry safety failings lead to firm’s second fine

Key Facts:

• Quarry blast sent rocks of up to 15 kilos flying across a public road towards employees
• HSE identified serious control failings in quarry safety
• Blast not properly planned, and inadequate safety measures in place
• Firm fined £30,000 – having already been fined £20,000 in 2013 for a similar offence.

The case:

Failure to take appropriate steps to ensure quarry safety has seen a Somerset company in court for a second time in two years.

Quarrying remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in. 3,250 quarry injuries, including 27 fatalities were reported to the HSE since 2000, meaning that quarrying remains one of the UK’s most dangerous industries to work in.

The quarry blast on 7 February 2012 sent rocks of up to 15 kilos flying outside the designated danger zone, and narrowly avoided falling on workers. They also fell across a public highway, which exposed public road users to unacceptable danger. The processing plant area of the quarry is on the other side of the public road, and rocks were also found to have landed there.

The company in charge of the quarry blast had already been fined £20,000 and £17,000 in costs in July 2013 for a similar incident in Devon.

The HSE outlined several quarry safety failings. First of all, the blast had not been properly or safely planned. A further issue was that too much explosive where the ground was already broken. The measures that were taken to lessen risks were inadequate.

The case was heard in Bristol Crown Court on 27 February 2015, and serious quarry safety failings were found. For this breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the company was fined £30,000 and costs of £20,000.

What the HSE Inspector had to say:

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Catherine Pickett stated that:

“This was a very serious incident, which put both members of the public and employees at serious risk of being hit by rocks and could easily have led to death or serious injury.

Blasting operations at quarries are potentially very dangerous. The risks must be rigorously controlled by good explosives engineering practice and in accordance with legal requirements.

Quarrying remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in with 3,250 injuries, including 27 fatalities, reported to HSE since 2000.

This is not the first time WCD Sleeman and Sons have been prosecuted for similar offences that have put people at considerable risk and I hope they take more heed of the lessons to be learned.

Proper planning and control is required at all times in the quarrying industry. The option of stopping and re-evaluating the blasting operation for safety is always available to shot-firers, and in this case would have avoided danger.”

What the law states:

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states:

“It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.”

Further HSE information on quarry safety can be found here
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