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This is the second of a two-part article in quarry safety initiatives from the Health & Safety Best Practice Awards (2008 and 2009) put together by the Mineral Products Association in the UK. Wheel detachmentsWheel loss is a serious issue in the UK with up to 11,000 wheel fixing defects resulting in up to 400 wheel detachments every year. Cemex UK, at its South Ferriby Cement Works in Lincolnshire, initially tackled the problem by prohibiting the tightening of wheel nuts by its drivers unless it done by a qualified tyre fitter. The company then raised the level of wheel security on it aggregate tipper fleet by fitting self-locking devices to the original nuts. Compared to 2007 when the company experienced 18 incidents related to loose wheel nuts, since fitting the locking devices there’s been zero incidents. Pictographic job cardsInstructional documents describing how activities such as excavating and tipping should be completed safely are often lengthy, issued periodically and usually kept in the office. The Lingerfield quarry in North Yorkshire designed job cards that are carried in machinery cabs and communicate rules and instructions in a straightforward and simple manner using diagrams and text. In a similar exercise, Brookside Hall quarry in Cheshire found that during training work some employees had literacy problems that compromised their ability to follow the company’s standard pre-start inspection sheet. The operator, Sibelco UK, developed a series of pictographic-based instructions, which have since been incorporated into operator handbooks for specific items of mobile plant. The handbooks were issued to all operators so as not to highlight any individual and have proved useful for operators for whom English is not their first language. The operator has now replace all it text-based documents on tipping and excavation rules with a pictorial versions that are kept in the vehicle for quick reference and have been adopted as best practice for all Sibelco UK operations. The Myers Group, which operates the Huddersfield quarry in West Yorkshire, uses a posters to increase employee awareness towards safety issues. The posters, which depict situations within the business, are designed and printed in-house and can be downloaded from the Myers Group website. Training panelsAn apprentice electrician at the Eskett Quarry in Cumbria designed a portable electrical isolation training panel as part of his personnel development. The panel was so good that it is now used in the induction process for all personnel and contractors, who must demonstrate that they are familiar with the electrical isolation procedure. Site walk and talkSibelco UK came up with a hands-on programme to fill the gap where risky tasks are not controlled by site-specific systems. Its ‘Stop and Think’ programme is a five minute, pocket risk assessment that is implemented through a ‘walk and talk’ exercise, whereby managers walk around site discussing health and safety with staff. Every ‘walk and talk’ event must be signed by the manager and the employee for a record of compliance. As a result, overall site safety has improved on performance, says the company. Pressure washing at heightA review of risk assessments for washing down mobile plant at the Croft Quarry in Leicestershire identified a problem with operatives having to stand on the wheels or mud flaps, and other uneven, slippery surfaces, when pressure-washing the booms of loading shovels. The solution was a mobile, height-adjustable, cantilevered platform big enough for the largest loading shovel. It features large wheels to cope with rough terrain and a jacking system next to each wheel to level out and brake the unit when in position. Storage solution for heavy gearAt Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire, heavy lifting equipment was kept in several places and finding the correct lifting equipment and identify its length and safe working load, meant searching through different chains and slings spread throughout the site. Besides creating a trip hazard, this haphazard storage method also meant the heavy main lifting ring had to be lifted manually and manoeuvred onto the gantry crane hook creating a manual handling hazard. The maintenance foreman and his team designed and constructed simple boxes to house the lifting equipment. Each box clearly states on the outside details of the chain, including the safe working load and length. The boxes, besides keeping equipment clean and tidy, are also designed to allow easy movement by forklift enabling them to be transported to different areas of the site. The box idea is now used worldwide throughout the operator’s other businesses. Energy efficiency case studiesYou probably have heard the saying that we need to work smarter not harder, and one proven way to work smarter is to cut wasted energy costs. Numerous companies have already taken advantage of the AQA’s pilot Best Practice Energy Programme as a way to becoming more energy efficient. This programme provides practical assistance to companies that wanted to reduce their energy use. Impressive savings are being made across the sector, says the AQA. Of the primary industries, mining (including petroleum extraction and exploration, quarrying, and services to mining), was the largest user of energy, with 24 percent of the total primary industry usage. Diesel was the largest energy source for primary industries, making up 50 percent of the energy they consumed. Other significant energy sources were electricity and petrol, accounting for 20 percent and 10 percent of the total energy source, respectively. Most of the large quarry operations have now participated in energy audits and the largest saving opportunities found on these sites were around water pumping systems. Water pumping systems apparently account for between 10-20 percent of total energy use, so using efficient pumps more effectively can save you thousands of dollars in energy costs. A best practice case study has been prepared on pumps and is available on the association’s website, providing simple tips on how to use and design pump systems more efficiently on your site. Other significant areas of opportunity for efficiency were found for motors, primarily associated with conveyors, and for reducing energy wastage from equipment being left on while the plant was in standby mode (e.g. during smoko breaks). Significant cost reduction opportunities were also found for peak load reductions and power factor correction factor – a measure of how effectively the focus on energy electrical equipment on your site converts electrical current into power. Poor power factor can lead to lower than normal voltages on your site and cause unreliable equipment performance and result in heavy costs being imposed by your energy company. A best practice case study has also been prepared on power factor correction on the association’s website. The AQA has developed a simple tool to help quarry operators to track site energy use over time that is available online. Combining simple energy and production data gives an ‘energy use index’ that allows companies to track their energy performance even with fluctuating production levels.
Q&M Vol.7 No.3 June-July 2010 |