COBDEN QUARRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1936, Page 6

COBDEN QUARRY

SAFETY MEASURES NECESSARY Following the sudden falling of a large block of stone in .the Cobden quarry after the heavy rain last week, an inspection of the quarry was carried out by Mr. G. W. Lowes, Inspector of Quarries, and he has made certain recommendations to the Harbour Board relative to the safe working of the quarry. These recommendations are being given effect to bj- the Board’s Engineer (Mr. D. C. Milne), but until the work is completed, some disorganisation is unavoidable in the operation of the quarry. In the meantime, it is considered unsafe to work the quarry following rain, which means broken time for the 14 men employed there. In conversation with- a “Star” reporter to-day, several of the quarry employees pointed out that thev had lost eleven days since Christmas, including the Easter holidays, and that, if the broken time through the state of the quarry face was to continue indefinitely, their earnings would be seriously affected. At the same time, however, they admit that they realise that the quarry face is dangerous as it stands at present, pending the carrying out of the

safety measures recommended by the Inspector of Quarries, which include the stripping back of the material from the top of the face, and the removal of the flake formation on the north wall, from where the large piece

of stone fell last week. Although there are only five men and the crane driver actually employed in the face of the quarry, ail of the 14 men engaged around the quarry are idled when there can be no work in the face. Although both the men and the Board’s Engineer are anxious to see the safety work carried out as soon

as possible, there has been some delay, due to the wet weather, as it is considered unsafe to proceed with this work, as well as the normal operation of the quarry, while the quarry is wet, through rain. The strata and form of the quarry rock make it susceptible to sudden falls in wet weather, for the reason that much of the rock is fissured, these fissures being filled with clay. Once the surface water seeps through, into these fissures, and the clay becomes wet, there is always the possibility of a block of rock slipping silently and suddenly from the top, and crashing down on the face. This has been indicated on several occasions, and on one it was an expensive happening, as the Board’s recently-pur-chased steam shovel was completely wrecked.

Some of the men employed on the quarry consider that it should be possible for them to be provided with other work when the quarry is unworkable, and thus save idle days, but

the engineer states that is not always possible to provide work outside the quarry for all the men, as they are definitely employed for quarry work, and breaks in their work are unavoidable.

It is expected that it will take several weeks to carry out the Inspector’s recommendations, but it will depend on weather conditions, the men being employed on the work as long as it is considered safe to be in the face of the quarry. •