The Andrews Labor Government has launched new safety guidelines to better protect workers at Victorian quarries.
The ‘Working Safely with Geotechnical Risk in Quarries’ guide contains practical safety advice for workers and contractors at quarry sites.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio launched the guidelines today at a workshop hosted by the Construction Material Processors Association in Kinglake.
They outline potential geotechnical hazards, such as a pit wall collapse, how to identify unexpected rock movement and what measures can be taken to ensure the safety of people on site.
The guidelines also provide advice on effective ways to rehabilitate quarry sites progressively.
Victorian quarries produce more than 40 million tonnes of hard rock, sand and gravel a year, generating more than $676 million in sales and providing raw materials for construction projects.
The guidelines have been prepared by the peak industry body, the Construction Material Processors Association, in consultation with the Victorian regulator, Earth Resources Regulation.
The new guidelines will sit along side the regulator’s ‘Guidance Material for the Assessment of Geotechnical Risks in Open Pit Mines and Quarries’.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
“Every worker should go to work knowing they’ll return home safely to their family.”
“These guidelines help quarry workers identify the risk of geotechnical hazards and recommend actions to help prevent incidents before they happen.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020