Ten years of safer quarries celebrated at Hillhead

TEN years of success in reducing death and injury in Great Britain's quarries were marked last month during a special address at the Hillhead 2010 quarry exhibition.

Reportable injuries in the sector are down 76% since the 'Hard Target' initiative was launched in 2000, and Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), was present at the exhibition to commend companies, trade bodies and trade unions for their efforts.

Ms Hackitt also used her speech on the opening morning of the show to rally the industry in making a renewed commitment to 'Target Zero', with the aim of bringing down reportable injuries by a further 15% year on year by 2015.

'The quarrying industry has demonstrated what can be achieved when an industry sector commits to improvement in health and safety. However, there is no room for complacency,' she said.

'As the number of incidents decrease, it will get ever more challenging for the industry to make further gains. Reaching the new goals will require even more hard work, determination and the development of new approaches.

'The improvements made so far are down to strong leadership, with employers promoting a safety culture right across their organizations, bolstered by the efforts of the unions and trade associations. It is also about creating an environment that encourages sharing and learning.'

Martin Isles, the MPA's director of health and safety, and deputy president of the Institute of Quarrying, commented: 'The industry has made massive strides in health and safety over the last 10 years in particular. But to achieve its ultimate goal of zero harm, a stronger focus is needed on the more challenging issues and to convince all stakeholders that the supply chain has a vital role to play.'

A spokesperson for the GMB trade union added: 'GMB strongly supports the work of everyone involved in the Target Zero campaign. The superb results achieved to date are testimony to the value of involving workers to develop joint solutions to the key issues that the quarrying industry faces. We look forward to embedding this good practice across the sector and driving further improvements in the future.'