DESCRIPTION
A new concrete plant was erected at Brett’s Rainham Quarry in 2016. It was recognised that some additional measures would be required to ensure that the dedicated stock piles for the concrete operation would not become contaminated. The concern was that in addition to moving a lot of different materials from the washing plant, the shovel drivers regularly carried out maintenance including the grading of the yard and haul roads, introducing the possibility of product contamination.
The team discussed how to check the cleanliness of the loading bucket prior to tipping processed aggregates into the concrete plant hoppers. The existing method was to step out of the machine and check, which could lead to a risk of slips, trips and falls. Alternatively, the driver could ask another operator to check, distracting them from whatever task they were engaged in.
After a short brainstorming session, they came up with a very simple, but effective solution. A large Perspex mirror was installed on the supporting wall for the concrete ramp. The shovel drivers use this to see directly into their bucket, negating the need to leave the cab to confirm it is clean prior to loading the concrete plant.
BENEFITS
- No contamination of processed aggregate
- Reduced risk of slips, trips and falls from shovels
- Cost effective solution that also saves time
- Customers receive the best quality product
- Site team all engaged in finding a solution.