30 Juneh 2005

QPA Announces New Five Year Hard Target for Health and Safety

The Quarry Products Association has launched its new five-year health and safety Hard Target scheme for the quarrying industry at the Hillhead Exhibition. Reflecting the first successful Hard Target commitment made five years ago to halve the number of reportable accidents occurring across the industry, QPA Members have again pledged to reduce the incident figure by a further 50%.

The QPA was the first organisation to sign up to the Health & Safety Commission’s voluntary pledge to commit to reducing the number of reportable accidents in Quarries in the 5 years leading to 31 March 2005 by half. Although the HSE figures for the full period are not yet available, the first four years shows a reduction of 46%.

The QPA developed a parallel Hard Target which, in the same time scale, tracked the accident records of the six largest QPA member companies, representing 85% of the association and 75% of the industry by tonnage. The survey included all quarrying and asphalt production and, from 2003, recycling operations were also included. The results were a dramatic 73% reduction in the 5 years to 31 December 2004.

From this year, the new QPA Hard Target scheme will track the Health & Safety performance of all QPA members with operations in England, Scotland and Wales. It will set out to half the 2004 RIDDOR incidents number to all direct employees involved in all activities – not just quarrying. As such, the figures collected will now include Readymixed concrete; mortar; silica sand; marine; lime; slag; contract surfacing; and manufacturing.

Launching the new scheme, QPA Chairman Lynda Thompson said: “Our success over the last five years shows what the industry can do, but we are still determined to do better. We continue to work towards an overarching aim of zero incidents and the new Hard Target is another major step on that road.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The QPA runs an annual Health and Safety Best Practice Awards Scheme. Details of the 2005 Scheme are at www.qpa.info
2. In June 2005, the QPA attracted Aggregates Levy funding for a project which will further help the Association to share good health and safety practice throughout the industry. The funding will support three substantial resources:
   
   • A user-friendly interactive DVD based on over 50 innovative mini-videos
   • www.SafeQuarry.com - a website designed to dovetail with its environmental counterpart - www.GoodQuarry.com
   • An extended Good Practice Guide which will include the very best practises from previous years.

   The resources will be made available beyond the QPA membership for the benefit of the entire industry.

3. For more information please contact Tim Parry by tel: 0207 9638000 or e-mail parry@qpa.org.

4. The Quarry Products Association is the principal trade association representing the UK aggregates industry. In England our members produce over 90% of aggregates extracted - sand and gravel and crushed rock as well as other non aggregate minerals such as silica sand, agricultural and industrial lime including limestone, chalk, clay and shale for cement.

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