Development of Guidance Note for Preventing Falls from Quarry Faces

GAVIN MOREIRA, CMPA’s Administration Officer reports on the development of WorkSafe Victoria’s latest Guidance Note Preventing falls from quarry faces.

In March 2011, WorkSafe Victoria released a Guidance Note for Preventing falls from quarry faces with the intention of highlighting to operators the risks and possible controls faced by those working on or around active or inactive quarry faces.

The development of the Guidance Note involved meetings and consultations with a number of members, stretching back to March 2009 at Holcim Australia, Oaklands Junction. This document is significant for the industry, as it allows everyone from owners, operators and employees to better understand how this issue can be managed on the quarry site.

The Guidance Note was developed by WorkSafe Victoria in conjunction with the CMPA and other parties from within the industry. This was a result of initial concerns raised by the CMPA about safety at quarry faces. The CMPA is very pleased to see a document, which although brief, provides the user with a ready reference tool.

It is important that all members who work with active quarry faces comprehend the details below as they will ensure safe operations near faces.

The CMPA would like to thank Ross Outen and Gavin Merriman from Boral Resources, Brian Calovic and Tom Kerr from Conundrum Holdings, Frank Santoro from Orica Quarry Services, David Jones and Gary Pirie from Holcim Australia, Russell McIntyre from EB Mawson & Sons, Rodney Krins from Impact Drilling and Rhonda Barro from the Barro Group for all their time and contributions towards creating this document to improve safety within the industry.

Guidance Note
PREVENTING FALLS FROM QUARRY FACES
MARCH 2011, GUIO 142/01/03.11

Background

Extracting rock, sand, gravel and recycling from quarry faces puts workers and equipment at risk of falling over the edge.

As an employer, you must review tasks and identify any risks to workers, particularly of falling. Tasks to be reviewed may include bench preparation, drilling, charging blasts, clean up, loading and hauling. You must then select and implement suitable control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks. These must be reviewed and maintained to ensure they are effective.

Controlling the risks

If possible, consider relocating tasks away from the edge of the quarry face. If access is required, physically restrict access to edges. Bunds are preferable to other less substantial barriers but bunds may hide cracks or signs of instability along the edge of quarry faces.

Bunds should be:

• constructed only after inspection of the quarry face area below. Faces need to be inspected for faults, change in appearance, loose surface, evidence of falling rocks, water seepage, joints and cracks
• constructed a metre or two from the edge where possible so any cracks or deterioration of the edge can be seen
• constructed of solid materials that are not easily shifted if contact is made by mobile machinery or equipment. Solid materials should be made of smaller materials so workers nearby are not at risk of injuries if part of the bund becomes dislodged over the edge of the quarry face
• regularly inspected and maintained

For pedestrians and shot-firing activities only, bunds should be a minimum height of one metre and constructed from a suitable material to avoid trip hazards. For mobile equipment, bunds should not be less than half the height of the wheel of the largest vehicle operating near the quarry face to stop it driving over the edge.

If it is not reasonably practicable to install bunds, other physical fall prevention barriers such as guard railing should be used. If the guard railing is installed close to a quarry face, the risk of falls during the erection and dismantling of the guard railing must be identified and controlled. If it is not reasonably practicable to install a physical fall prevention device (e.g. before blasting or due to the set-up of a drill), limit working positions. This can include using a travel restraint such as a harness connected at a fixed point (e.g. fixed equipment) to prevent workers approaching the edge.

Workers must be trained in the appropriate selection and use of harnesses before starting work. Ensure workers are closely supervised until assessed as competent.

Other factors to consider

When developing and implementing a site safety management plan, employers should:

• review and document how all tasks are undertaken to establish the hazards and risks. This includes reviewing and documenting risk control measures if there are any changes to the work process
• use the appropriate equipment or machinery for the task
• ensure workers are adequately trained and experienced
• use bunting or para-webbing to identify a two-metre clear zone away from the top edge if there is a worksite near a face
• ensure any worksite surface is clear of obstacles/rubble that may trip workers. Fine material can be spread to level out rough surfaces or uneven ground
• ensure equipment is set up in a stable manner on hard, level ground within working radius
• where possible, position equipment so it is facing any quarry face edge to reduce the need to manoeuvre when it is close to the edge
• establish exclusion zones using signs and/or earth barriers when access is not required or is restricted to areas of the quarry face
• develop a site-specific traffic management plan with directions of travel and site safety rules for accessing and operating equipment on and near benches
• ensure people accessing the worksite are inducted and, where applicable, trained in the control measures to reduce the risk of falls from quarry faces
• ensure water is allowed to run off benches. Water should be directed through drains away from bench floors and low spots should be filled to prevent puddles
• ensure there is clear communication between workers.

For members who would like a copy of the Guidance Note go to www.worksafe.vic.gov.au and search for “Quarry faces”.

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