In early June, the Northstone Materials Division had a visit from the primary 5 children of Oliver Plunkett School in Toomebridge. The hosts were Sand Production Manager, Dessie McGuckin, and Health and Safety Advisor, John Evans. The purpose of the visit was to allow the children to find out more about the sand which is found in Lough Neagh, how it is recovered and processed and its uses thereafter
The visit commenced with the all important health and safety induction which included a brief overview of the visit arrangements and the paramount importance of health and safety. Each child was then given a high visibility vest for the visit and to retain thereafter to use when cycling or walking to school.
The children then boarded their bus along with Dessie, John and their teachers to travel to Hutchinson’s sand production depot which is just outside of Toomebridge.
On arrival, Dessie provided an informative and interesting guided tour of the Lough shore location and its production plant and processes. There was certainly a lot of excitement generated when skipper Paul Toal brought his barge, the Sandy Bay, alongside the quay wall.
Dessie went to great lengths to explain the dangers of working at sand production locations as exemplified by the size of the wheels of the loading shovel used at the depot compared to the height of a child.
The next stop on the visit was to the concrete tile plant to explain how sand is used in their manufacture as well as other products. This was followed by the showing of the DVD “Play Safe – Stay Say” as produced by the Quarry Products Association, which warns children never to be tempted to enter and play at locations such as Hutchinson’s depot. The children were warned never to be tempted to dig tunnels through sand stockpiles due to the risk of the stockpile collapsing.
It was a happy and tired group of children which left Northstone that afternoon complete with high visibility vest and posters warning of the dangers to be found at quarry locations.
