ARTISANAL QUARRYING Ilrd KENYA

TOWARDS A HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

A Paper for ITDG Workshop, Nairobi

-2 - -- .Stephen P A Savery

March 1998

ITDGKJNIVERSITY OF BATWDFID: WORKING PAPER NUMBER 7

ARTISANAL QUARRYING IN KENYA TOWARDS A HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

S P A Savery" for ITDG Workshop, Nairobi, March 1998

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Background to safety legislation in UK quarries

3. Analysis of 10 years of UK Quarry fatal accidents

4. Current Health & Safety Issues in Artisanal Quarries

5. Establishing a Policy

6. Subjects to be covered in the Policy

7. Five Steps to Risk Assessment

8. Implementation and Monitoring

Appendix 1 Accident Notification Form

Appendix 2 Accident Investigation Report

* Stephen Savery is an independent mineral consultant working in association with the Mining and Environment Research Network (MEW). The Network is directed by Professor Alyson Warhurst and located at the School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. For further details see: www.bath.ac.uk/ICE/

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2.

Today enlightened employers regard their workforce us their greatest asset, and a healthy workforce is a prerequisite for in dustriul efficiency.

Workers who extract wealth from the ground have traditionally suffered high rates of injury and death.

Introduction

This paper follows the writer's visit to Artisanal quarries in the Nairobi region in February 1997 when matters of environmental impact and productivity were the key issues. In the ensuing report attention was drawn to the absence of accident statistics and the lack of Health and Safkty policies.

What follows now is a suggested way forward to the adoption of Health & Safety procedures in an attempt to introduce a "culture" of safety within the Artisanal Quarrying Industry.

In order to identifjl the scale of potential fatalities and injuries within the Industry in Kenya, Section 2 of the report charts the background to safety legislation in the UK Quarrying Industry over the last 100 years. At the turn of the century over 100 quarrymen were killed annually and over 1000 seriously injured. These figures relate to quarry operations not dissimilar to Kenya's Artisanal quarries of today, ie pre mechanisation.

The drawing up of a Health and Safety policy is discussed, with identified objectives and specific subjects covered. Finally, implementation and monitoring proposals are drawn up.

This paper is concerned with developing a Safety Policy for Artisanal quanymen and there remain other critical areas of Health and Safety, ie vehicles, boundary fencing, and visitors to the quarry which will also have to be addressed. (see Photo 1 "Danger @any, Keep Out" on page 2)

Background to safety legislation in the UK Quarrying Industry

The first safety legislation specifically for the quarrying industry - The Quarries Act of 1894 - resulted from the recognition by the government of the day that the industry was costing dearly in life, limb and occupational ill health.

The human cost for the 10 years following the Act coming into force was 1150 killed and over 12,000 seriously injured.

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Photo 1 : "Danger Quarry, Keep Out"

1 i 2. cont....

The fatal accidents occurred predominantly at the quarry face and were caused by : - falls of ground - falling from access ladders and ropes

falling from the galleries (narrow ledges) on which quarrymen worked the injudicious use of commercial, and sometimes home-made,

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explosives. *

The Mines and Quarries Act of 1954 (MQA) came into force in 1957 and brought in the statutory appointments of managers. The Act placed specific and absolute duties on both the quarry owners and appointed managers requiring provision of the owner of a strategy for ensuring that the mine or quarry was laid out and worked so as to comply with the statutory provisions. Additional regulations made under the 1954 Act dealt specifically with use of explosives, use of electricity, and quarry vehicle activity

Accidents resulting from falls of ground at the face or of quarrymen falling from the face are almost unheard of these days and the use of explosives so far as workers in the quarry are concerned is pretty well under control. With the advent of mechanisation at the quarry face, quarrying is no longer labour intensive and the main areas of hazard have shifted.

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3. Analysis of 10 years of UK Quarry Fatal Accidents

3.1 Vehicles

From the chart (overleaf) of accident rates for the period 1983-1992 vehicle accidents can be seen to be the scourge of modern quarrying. They have consistently accounted for more then 40% of fatal accidents and 25% of all accidents.

The size of the excavation influences the quarry designers ability to achieve ideal haulage road layouts in terms of appropriate gradient, road widths, cambers, escape roads and so on. Given the limited space, it is equally difficult for the quarry manager to ensure that pedestrians and soft skinned vehicle (vans, Landrovers etc) are always clear of operating areas and that the heavy vehicle congestion does not occur.

Inadequate vision white reversing is the most prolific cause of accidents, but there can be areas of masked vision both forward and at the sides of the vehicle.

Haul roads with easy gradients. adequate widths, correct cambers together with good surfaces are essential for safe haulage systems and must be maintained. Safety banks of a size and scale which can arrest any runaway vehicles on site have proved their worth many times in preventing vehicles from running over the open edges of elevated haul roads. Brake failure, loss of steering power or loss of concentration by a driver can all lead to incidents of this sort. Both the machinery and the materials to build safety banks are frequently on hand at quarries and the "know how" on safety bank design is also freely available.

3.2 Machinery guards and maintenance

Belt conveyors are used to transport mineral through the processing machinery flow and in some cases from the working face itself, replacing vehicles as the main haulage system.

The conveyors belts vary in length, width and weight (capacity) and the speed of operation. There are also many configurations in the pulley arrangements which drive and tension the belts and it is here that the majority of accidents occur.

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The psychological problem with the smooth-running, relatively quiet rubber- belt conveyors is that they are almost reassuring and do not signal danger the way in which a rapidly revolving shaft or flywheel may. A major operating problem is spillage of the mineral being transported from the belt, particularly at transfer points. The material builds up below the pulley and inside the guard which is protecting the danger area (the nip point between the belt and pulley). If the mineral being transported contains any clay or other sticky material it can

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quickly build up on the pulley, distorting the belt. When these conditions occur, accident history has shown that some plant operators, in a state of false security, have been tempted to remove guards and clean the spillage without interrupting production by stopping the belt. Similarly, attempts have been made to clean material from pulleys which they are still in motion using tools such as iron bars and shovels. In both cases the tools have caught the nip points of a pulley and the operator has been drawn in with frequently fatal consequences.

Spillage from conveyor belts is the scourge of quarrying and continues to de@ the engineers ingenuity to control it. The most common methods of controlling the hazard and risks involved are to :

a) Design guards which cover the dangerous moving part but allows spillage to be cleared safely without removing the guard.

b) Install effective belt scrapers which can prevent material reaching and building up on the pulleys

c) Make plant operators aware that this most benign looking of quarry machinery can be a killer.

3.3 Maintenance

Machinery maintenance in a quarry, whether preventative or following a breakdown, is an indispensable facet of quarrying. It is also a major activity which is generally required to be completed in the shortest possible time. Preventative maintenance should at least allow the job to be planned. In the case of breakdowns, however, those involved are usually reacting urgently by instinct. In either case, accident history shows that maintenance work kills and maims with depressing regularity.

The causes most commonly identified are :

a) Failure to make a proper risk assessment resulting in the absence of safe systems of work.

b) Absence of adequate physical safeguards

c) Ineffective supervision and control

d) Lack of information together with poor instructiodtraining for the task in hand.

As many as 90% of accidents which occur during maintenance work can be prevented by taking these four simple precautions.

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3.4 Quarry Blasting and Face Stability

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3.5

The initial integrity of the working face at a quarry should be achieved through competent design which has taken into account the geology of the area and geotechnical principles. The ability to maintain that integrity ensuring that the face remains stable in terms of both massive failure, which might involve thousands of tonnes, and local failure (falls of rock at the face involving smaller quantities of rock) is frequently down to competent rock blasting

Geotechnical rule of thumb states that no rock face more than 15 metres in height can be considered as intrinsically safe without detailed geotechnical evidence to support a higher face. The height limit is an important factor, not only for the maintenance to a stable rock slope, but also to improve the manager's ability to make an accurate daily inspection of the face. It also achieves greater control over shot hole drilling (shorter holes) from which competent blast specifications can be produced.

Explosives can be one of the quarry engineer's most effective tools in the constant battle to produce mineral economically. Yet it was for many years a sadly neglected element of engineering, managers preferring the wholly empirical and sage-like ministrations of "Old Joe the shot-firer". "He's been at it for 30 years and knows the place backwards", was often Joels only qualification.

Success of the blast in terms of production and safety depended upon Joe's whims which rarely if ever involved engineering criteria as a basis. Unstable faces and rock projections beyond quarry boundaries was a frequent if inevitable result. With no requirements to provide records, Joe's rudimentary figures on the back of a cigarette packet confounded any attempt at an investigation to establish causes.

The advance in explosives technology significantly reduced the risks to people employed on quarry blasting. However, continued incidents of Yly rock" leading to public concern have led to greater emphasis of surveying data for primary blasts. Accurate face profiling and determination of true mass (burden) of the rock can now be established confidently with the help of modern equipment (eg laser profiling).

Stumbling, Falling and Slipping

There is little that sets the extractive industries apart in accidents which involve slips and stumbles leading to falls. Conditions under foot at mines, quarries or drilling sites are bound to be inherently poor and the same remedial rules apply as to any other industry. They are :

- Proper access - Good housekeeping - Adequate lighting - Suitable footwear

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3.6 Occupational Health

Occupational health problems in the extractive industries have much in common with other heavy industries. Noise controls, training and guidance on manual handling and elimination of hand, arm and body vibration are all on the list. Any industry has variations on a theme and quarrying has specific guidance on exposure and control in most of these areas. The most serious and controversial health hazard in quarrying, however, is pneumoconiosis (lung disorder). It is controversial because the industry questions where the evidence is in terms of affected quarryrnen. This evidence has never existed on the scale it has say for coal miners but is does exist, and there is recorded illness and death from exposure to dust in quarries. All mineral dust can be harmful in one way or another if it is inhaled in sufficient quantities. The most hazardous, however, is dust containing silica which can inflict silicosis on those who are sufficiently exposed to it.

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4.1

4.2 4

4.3

Current Health and Safety Issues in Artisanal Quarries.

At the time of my visit to the Artisanal Quarries in the Nairobi region in February 1997, I identified the following situation

Accident Records

There are none, although from questioning on site it is clear that there are a number of serious accidents, i.e. the injured being away for 6 to 8 weeks or more. Some form of records should be kept and Accident Notification and Investigation Report Forms completed for each incident. (See Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 for examples).

]Risk Assessment F

This is a structured approach to prevent accidents by identieng and the reducing the potential for injury.

Protective Clothing. None seen anywhere!

i) Hard Hats : Should be warn by all within quarry operating area, those working close to the face are particularly at risk.

ii) Eye Protection : The Fundis cutting and dressing stone suffer many eye injuries, sometimes sustaining loss of an eye. Goggles would stop these injuries.

(See Photo 2 “Hummer Splitting Stone ” overleaf)

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Photo 2 : "Hammer Splitting Stone"

4.3 cont...

iii) Hands & Feet : It is not known to what extent hands are injured by the sliding action of Bamboo poles when clearing drill holes but industrial gloves may be helpful. Of greater concern is footwear or in some cases, the lack of it! There were instances of some quarrymen working in bare feet. Steel toed shoes or boots would reduce accidents to feet and cut out abrasions to bare soles.

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Photo 3 : "Unsafe Load"

4.4 Safe Working Faces

Dangerous working faces were frequently observed and these should be inspected daily by the Manager/Supervisor and loose rocks barred down. Men should not be working under overshot/over hanging faces).

4.5 Use and Storage of Explosives

This is an area requiring more examination but from one quany visit, where Ammonium Nitrate was seen stored on brown paper in the open, it is apparent that dangerous, uncontrolled handling of explosives is occurring.

4.6 Lorry Loading

The incidence of accidents whilst lorries are being loaded should be investigated.

Unsafe loads were also observed, ie unsecured loads which are liable to, and do fall off vehicles when they have left the quarry.

(see Photo 3 "Unsafe Load'' above)

4.7 Training and Awareness

Seminars should be held to identify hazards, carry out risk assessment and provide information on protective clothing.

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5.1

5.2

Estabiishing a Policy

There is no such thing as a "standard" safety policy

The purpose of drawing up a safety policy is to ensure that careh1 consideration is given to the various operation and hazards involved with the object of reducing risks and improving the health and safety of employees.

The Policy should establish a range of objectives for the work environment and detail the strategic steps to be taken to attain those objectives.

In the UK "The Health & Safety at Work Act" was introduced in 1974 and it identifies a number of duties placed on the employer. Six of these are set out below and could realistically be taken as the broad objectives for establishing a safe working environment in Artisanal Quarries in Kenya.

5.2.1

5.2.2

5.2.3

5.2.4

5.2.5

Provision and maintenance of a safe working environment which is without risks to health. This includes environmental considerations, noise, dust, fbmes etc.

The provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. "Systems of Work" includes the way the work is organised and carried out and any precautions that must be taken. This means that any plant and machines must be sde both within themselves and also in the way that thy are operated.

Arrangements for ensuring the safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances. This applies both to materials received at the quarry such as he1 explosives etc, and to any finished or waste products from the production process, eg the siting of stockpiles or stacking of bagged material.

Provision of a work place which is adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for employees' welfare at work. Matters include toilets, washing facilities, place for eating food.

Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure health and safety at work of his employees. This includes any statutory documents, notices or other information, induction training, use of equipment, risks involved, action in zvent of fire etc., together with ensuring adequate supervision of the work place so that any rules and instructions are complied with.

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&+ 5.2.6 Maintenance in a safe condition of any place of work under the employer's control including the provision and maintenance of safe means of access.

5.3

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6.1

6.2

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6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7

The Policy Statement should include the organisation and arrangements for carrying out the Policy. It may include a family tree with, wherever possible, individual names and duties covered by the Policy, so that everyone in the organisation is aware of their duties and responsibilities.

Subjects to be covered in the Policy : The Policy may well be in two parts

i) The broad objectives as discussed in 5.3 and

ii) Specific application to detailed matters resulting in rules and regulation as described below.

Accidents involving any person on the quarry site must be reported immediately to the ManagerlSupervisor.

Appropriate firsts aid to be obtained from trained first aiders on site and the incident recorded in the accident book.

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Employees should ensure that the equipment they use, whether it is hand tools, ladders, lifting tackle or vehicles, are in a sound and safe condition. If they are not satisfied they must report any defect to the Manager/Supervisor.

Lifting and handling of goods to be in accordance with regulations.

Employees must never attempt to clean or adjust machinery in motion unless provision is made for doing so safely, and must not tamper with guards or electrical equipment.

Employees must never do anything likely to endanger the safety of the quarry or the safety and health of fellow employees.

Hard hats are to be worn in all quarry operational areas. (See Photo 4 overleaf)

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Photo 4 : "Hard Hats in Operational Areas"

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6.8

6.9

6.10

Photo 5 :

You can’t see with False Eyes

Employees must familiarise themselves with location and use of fire fighting equipment

Suitable footwear, preferably with reinforced toedheals, to be worn in the quarry and for loading lorries.

Hearing protection must be worn in all appropriate circumstances.

6.11 Eye protection should be worn where there is a danger of stone splinters or any on site work such as cutting, welding, grinding etc. (See Photo 5 : ’False Eyes ” above)

6.12 If appropriate, there must be regulations for the handling and storage of explosives and detonators on site.

7. Five Steps to Risk Assessment

Employers should assess the risk to workers and any others who may be affected by their undertaking. A systematic examination of each work activity should be undertaken using the 5 Step approach indicated below.

7.1 Step 1 : Look for the Hazards L

1 On site, walk around inspection to identifL hazards. (Hazard by definition is 4 the potential to cause harm, and Risk is the likelihood that harm fiom the hazard is realised).

Ask operatordworkers what they think because they may have notice things which are not immediately obvious.

7.2 Step 2: who

Decide who might be harmed and how.

This will include people who may not be present at the time of inspection, ie lorry drivers, explosive experts, visitors.

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7.3

7.4

7.5

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8.1

Step 3 : Is Risk Contained?

Evaluate the risks arising from hazards and decide whether existing precautions are adequate or more should be done. Classify remaining level of risk into categories high, medium or low.

Can risks be controlled so that harm is unlikely?

Step 4 : Record Findings

Recorded findings should include :

i) Significant hazards

ii) Important conclusions

iii) Assessments which show reasonable precautions and that a proper check was made

Employees to be informed of these findings.

Step 5 : mat Action is Necessary

Review assessment from time to time and revise if necessary

New machines, new substances, new procedures will lead to changed circumstancedenvkonment and thereby give rise to the need for re ilssessment.

Implementation and Monitoring

The key task is to introduce and develop a "culture" of safety.

The following forward was written 20 years ago for a UK quany General Rules Book concerning safety and employment :

?I I have notice that may such booklets as the one you are about to r e d begrn with a terrihing reference to accident statistics. f i t happetis to )Y)N is not just another statistic to your family o r p i e d .

Safety is a very personal matter and we all have a responsibility to oiirselves, those we work with and our familles.

YOU have a duty to studj this book. Procedures are clearly deflttd lo make the place you work in safer for you others

Remember : You Are You Own Safety Offer'!

S P A Savery, Managing Director

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8.2

8.3

8.4

8.5

8.6

8.7

8.8

8.9

8.10

Currently there are no records kept of accidents at Artisanal Quarries and therefore the scale of loss of life and serious injury is unknown.

A key requisite of a Health & Safety Policy must be to identify accidents, review operating procedures where appropriate, and monitor the accident rate performance. Accordingly, each quany site should have an Accident Book to record all levels of injury, and these can be collected either by the owners of more than one site or better still, by an appropriate Government Agency or Trade Association. See Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 for copies of Accident Report Forms used by one UK quarry operator.

Identification of hazards through a "Risk" assessment programme as discussed in Section 7 should help establish clear issues relevant to each individual site.

In order to record hazards and monitor safety performance it is necessary to have a small team comprising a safety committee. It is quite feasible that the "Safety Committee" could cover several quarries with the cooperation of quarry owners and carry out regular safety audits.

A training programme of instruction in First Aid should be introduced, with an objective of having a competent first aider for every 10 operatives.

A follow up programme should be introduced to investigate the progress of the long term sick or injured.

Provision of some basic first aid equipment on site should be considered, eg secure storage for dressings a d possibly a stretcher.

The provision of protective gear, eg hats, goggles, gloves shoes, and how it will be distributed must be considered.

Health & Safety Rules and Regulations should be issued to each employee.

An induction training programme should be established for each new employee whereby they can familiarise themselves with all aspects of Health & Safety procedures at the quarry site.

S P A Savery

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March 1998

APPENDIX 1

LCCIDENT CL1LSSIFICATlON m C K RELEYAXT BOXES)

INJURY/ DAMAGE NEAR RIODOR OTHER ILLNESS MISS REPORT - _ _ - -- &Qu-/it'

:USTOMER L 1 - 4

- _- C A L -7 I

REFNO 1-1

LOCATION OF ACCIDEIYT:

P U N T I E(IU1PYEWT / VEHICLE I BUILDIN6 INVOLYED:

ACCIDENT NOJiFiCATlt OM L -. .- .. . . . 1

- a t U w VI

I I :ONTRACTOR - _-, - I r----t

M O PARTY _ _ _ - -- EASES) C H E Y l U L S I MATEBIALS INVOLVED:

4CCIDENT TYPE.

:ACTUAL DESCRIPTIOW OF ACCIDENT

'ERSDN IN CHARGE OF ACTIVITY A N 0 POSITION

DETAIlS OF INJURY

OCCUPATION

DATE 01. BIRTH

DATE EMROYMENT CCMMENCFO I I I

MARRIED. NO OF CHILDREN AV WEEKLY GROSS YES/NO I UNDER 18 I EARNINGS. I NET

I 1 ,T:W:' OAY S OATE CEASE0 WORK DATERE~URNEOTOVVORK

IMMLDMTE PREVENTIVE RCTION

NAME AN0 ADDRESS OF WITNESS

h.

IAKEH:

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT REPORT MADE BY CdPIiALS ru FOLLOW: YES/ NO WITH IN: I DAYS I POSl l lDN DATE

CIRCULATION 1 INSURANCE OEPT REIGATE 2 DIVISIONAL SAFETY ADVISER 3. LOCATION COPY 4 IMMEDIATE MANAGER

5 6 7

FORM GHS 1 0 Location copy to be filed in Gforp Health. Safety kEnvironncntal M8n11al 3! 91

APPENDIX 2

LOCATION I

ACCtOEW fRlVESflGA71ON REPORT

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-- ____ . - - T IME OF ACCIDENT. ___ DATE OF ACCIDENT:

PLACE OF ACCIDENT.

ACCIDENT TYPE. NOTIFICATION DATE

INJURY TYPE. - __

_ _ _ _-_____ -____

- - -- -_. - - - - - - .

_ _ ___ - ___ - - - - - - . - .--I_I__

--__ BODYPART -_ - _- - __ __ - __ IS THIS THE FINAL REPORT? : YES/NO

- I - __ . . . - REPORTED TO ENFORCING AUTHORITY. YES/ND

SUMMARY OF EVENTS, CAUSES AND RECOMMEPIDATIONS: I - - . .___ ___

iiiiininnniin iiiiiniiiin iiiii~ iiin nnniiinti KEY PERSONS INVOLVED N A M E A N D POSITION

lllllnlll~ll~llT INVOLVEMENT