Living with the 1999 Quarries Regulations: a practical approach

摘要

The Quarries Regulations 1999, which came into force on 1 January 2000, now clearly define the operators' duties to ensure that excavations and tips are designed, constructed, operated and maintained so as to ensure that instability or movement, which is likely to give rise to a risk to health and safety of any person, is avoided. Tarmac Quarry Products, as one of the largest quarry operators in the UK, required a practical and proactive approach to managing the geotechnical resource implications of the legislation. The focus of this paper is on the practical methods applied to ensure that only excavations and tips which truly constitute a significant hazard are the subject of a full geotechnical assessment. Site appraisals of rock slopes using the TRL Quarry Slope Hazard Index system enable cost benefits to be achieved. The criteria applied for sand and gravel slopes are briefly examined.