A complete set of guidelines has been published by the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (ASPASA) to assist members to prepare for health and safety inspections and meet government requirements for safer quarries.
Even the best-run operations, inspection days can become disorganised because of poor preparation and can give inspectors the wrong impression of the quarry. With comprehensive guidelines in place, quarry management can facilitate quicker inspections where the necessary documents and processes can be prepared in advance and simply be implemented when inspectors arrive. Nico Pienaar, director of ASPASA, says that inspection days usually spell tense times for quarry management as their processes and procedures are tested and examined in fine detail. Perceived violation can have far-reaching consequences and both parties often view one another with mistrust if even minor problems arise. Another advantage of adhering to procedures is the elimination of inconsistencies arising from individual inspectors’ own interpretation of regulations. Committed to zero harm “ASPASA has worked tirelessly with members to improve health and safety on our quarries. The inspection guidelines are yet another tool that we have put at the disposal of managers to make health and safety a part of their everyday management function while instilling a responsible culture within the workforce,” Pienaar says.“As a fifth big sector within the mining industry we work closely with the Department of Mineral Resources and aim to promote better relations between mines and the department inspectors. For many years we have advocated that members maintain an unwavering commitment to health and safety at our quarries and mines, and this has paid off.
“That is why we developed our health and safety audit programme some years ago to assist members with health and safety issues. The industrial safety, health and environment audit is done annually at all ASPASA member sites and is a prerequisite for membership of ASPASA. We also strive to ensure that laws and regulations that are applicable to ASPASA members are practical and we therefore work with role players to ensure health and safety problems are reduced and eliminated,” he says. Quick reference The guidelines cover broad issues ranging from how to prepare for an inspection, contractor management, common shortcomings and words of caution, as well as contesting citations, safety considerations for all areas of a quarry operation and many more. Checklists are also provided to enable responsible parties on site to check and double-check that their systems and procedures will meet inspection criteria.
