Colin Mew, who is the recently appointed Head of Health and Safety at MPA, and ex Principal Inspector of Quarries, has shared the following communications with MPA members. It is a sobering but important message – please take a moment to read it:

Important Update – 2023 fatalities and action required

Fresh into my new role, and following Jon Prichard’s letter of 7^th June 2023, I am writing with an important update about the recent fatalities experienced by MPA members.

I urge you to take action and share this letter with colleagues at all levels who have an influence on the health and safety of others.

You will be aware that between 2018 and 2021 MPA members operated without a single direct employee or contractor fatality. However, 2022 saw a reversal of this positive trend with two fatalities reported, both involving drivers of large goods vehicles. Tragically, in 2023 we are aware of three further deaths among our membership ‘family’ and two in closely related companies.

At the MPA Board meeting in July 2023, members expressed their concern and compassion towards those affected. They also directed that, whilst recognising that sometimes it is difficult for legal reasons to divulge details about fatal incidents, MPA should do everything it can to share whatever useful information and learning points are available which might help others to avoid similar events.

We are now in a position to share the following information about the recent incidents within member companies, together with comments and pointers which we hope are useful.

We would like to stress that no inference or conclusions should be drawn from the following in terms of the parties involved or the exact circumstances surrounding each incident.

1. Driver trapped and fatally injured following failure of a lorry mounted crane

In this case it appears that the mountings for the lorry mounted crane may have failed causing it to collapse. Members are urged to initiate specific inspections of lorry mounted cranes/Hiab-type equipment.

We are also aware of two recent incidents where mixer drums have become separated from the mountings on mixer trucks fortunately without resulting in any injuries.

These events emphasise the importance of regular engineering inspections and servicing, as well as pre-start checks and defect reporting for all types of fixed and mobile plant. Examples are available on Safequarry.com.

2. Employee entrapped by machinery which was not isolated and locked out

The deceased employee was working in a precast factory, cleaning a machine as part of a routine clean-up. It seems that during this process the machinery started up and the employee was fatally injured as a result.

Members will be well aware of the significant potential for injury and death arising from isolation incidents which is one of the  ‘The Fatal 6’.

Experience amongst MPA members is that over time memories fade, lapses occur, and systems and equipment can degrade. QNJAC has produced an Isolation Audit that you may find useful as an aid to checking/assessing your own operations. It can provide a means of discovering latent defects before a serious incident occurs.

Further useful guides and resources produced by the MPA’s ‘The Fatal 6’ Working Group – Contact with Moving Machinery and Isolation are available on Safequarry.

3. Contractor struck by a falling object

A contractor was driving a dumper truck in an MPA member’s quarry. He appears to have left the cab for some reason and was fatally struck by a falling object. This is one of ‘The Fatal 6’ and there are resources available on Safequarry – Struck by Moving or Falling Object – including how certain risks can be mitigated.

Members could consider whether their contractor induction procedures are robust so that personnel are aware of the site rules and any specific risks pertaining to the tasks they are to carry out. Also consider areas within operations where drivers are required to stay in their cabs, pedestrian no-go areas and so on.

Fatal incidents have profound and long-lasting consequences for the colleagues, families, and friends of those who died doing their jobs. They should act as reminder for members to check that their company’s health and safety policies are both up-to-date and being implemented.

Health and Safety at work is a basic right and responsibility of every person in our workforce. As leaders, it is our clear responsibility to commit to doing everything we can to ensure that everyone goes home safe and well every day. This includes sharing information about incidents, innovations and best practices in order that others can learn, act, improve and prevent similar occurrences.

To reverse this disturbing rise in fatalities occurring in our industry is paramount, and I urge you to ensure that your organisation has systems in place to achieve the following:

• an unrelenting approach to eliminating the things that can kill or seriously harm people, through the adoption of industry safety principles and good practices focused on ‘The Fatal 6’
• ensuring leaders at all levels are visibly demonstrating their commitment to embracing our six shared values to help keep everyone safe and well
• sharing information about any serious or High Potential Incidents (HIPOs) with others via MPA to support sector learning and improvement
• distributing information provided by other MPA members throughout your organisation to support your learning and improvement
• using safequarry.com regularly as a source of information, learning and useful health and safety tools

There is no one solution to the prevention of serious incidents in our operations, but through widespread awareness, knowledge sharing, continuous vigilance, and the everyday safety conscious actions of our colleagues, we have a much greater chance of keeping people safe and well.