News - latest content added to Safequarry

MPA has published the digital version of the ‘Sharing good practice guide 2024’. The Guide provides a unique summary of the best entries from the 2024 MPA Health and Safety Awards, including the following:

• The 8 Topic Awards
• The John Crabbe Trophy
• The Sir Frank Davies Award
• The Eurobitume Award
• ‘The Fatal 6’ Award
• The MPA Special Award
• The Young Leader Award
• Individual Recognition Awards – 21 Nominations

Each entry includes a direct link to a short video that highlights the health and safety issues addressed by the entry and the benefits that have been delivered.

The Guide is an ideal way to quickly review these outstanding innovations in health, safety and wellbeing and to identify those entries that could be adapted or implemented within workplaces to make it safer for all.

To coincide with the launch of the Guide, MPA is pleased to confirm that it will shortly be inviting submissions for the MPA Health and Safety Awards 2026. The award event will be held in July 2026.

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has published ‘Managing Work-Related Stress…A Guide to Risk Assessment’ which aims to provide Clear, Simple, Smart guidance to employers and managers to help them complete a suitable and sufficient work-related stress risk assessment of their workplace.

The document describes the importance of carrying out an organisational level risk assessment that addresses work related stress. It also lays out the legal context and touches on the moral and financial cases for managing work related stress and the practical steps that need to be taken during the risk assessment process.

TIME TO TALK DAY – 6^th FEBRUARY

MPA is committed to backing this day dedicated to doing what we can to ensure everyone gets comfortable with and starts talking about #mentalhealth, also taking time to check in with family, friends, colleagues and communities.

@Time to Talk Day is run by @Mind and @Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with @Co-op and delivered by @See Me with @SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), @Inspire and @Time to Change Wales.

Last year’s Day revealed that nearly two thirds of the UK public put on a brave face to avoid talking about their mental health. And nearly half of us are less likely to open up as we don't want to worry others in already difficult times.

But talking openly and honestly can be the first step towards better mental health for everyone. It can reduce stigma and help people feel comfortable enough to seek help when they need it.

Explore the Time to Talk Day website (https://timetotalkday.co.uk/) for a whole range of ideas and resources which can help start the conversation in your workplace and download this resource pack: https://timetotalkday.co.uk/download-a-pack/#74-58-activities

The @Health & Safety Executive Talking Toolkit provides guidance on having conversations about work-related stress. It can be downloaded here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/assets/docs/talking-toolkit-construction.pdf

Please use the next 2 minutes to view this video – it could help you prevent a serious injury or fatality on your site.

• The video summarises the vital health and safety information that is free, constantly updated and easily searchable via Safequarry.com
• This website brings together content that is relevant to all products sectors within the mineral products industry.
• This crucial H&S information has been provided by industry operators, MPA, QNJAC, HSE, NePSi and many others.

 The Health and Safety Hub for the mineral products industry.

We are all ‘Safer by Sharing’ and learning from others.

Please share the link with your colleagues

Please find attached a special MPA Health and Safety Bulletin that is a celebration of the recent MPA Health and Safety Awards 2024.

The bulletin includes direct links to the videos of the winning entries, tabulated to assist in reviewing.

It may be that one or more of these videos could provide a useful way of introducing a discussion around a particular activity or hazard as part of a safety discussion /toolbox talk you might be planning in the New Year. 

The real benefit from the MPA Health and Safety Awards is achieved by ensuring that the ideas and innovations featured are shared as widely as possible across the mineral products industry. By learning about both the good practices and incidents / HiPos experienced by others we can adapt are own operations to make them safer for all, we are all Safer by Sharing.

Please take the opportunity to review this bulletin and share it with others as appropriate.