Children warned to steer clear of quarries

TARMAC Western Ltd have teamed up with schools in Mid Glamorgan in a bid to warn children to steer clear of quarry sites as part of a nationwide safety initiative. On 18 May the company joined forces with the local police, fire service and the army to take part in a school safety day aimed at informing youngsters how to stay safe.

The event was timed to coincide with the start of the Quarry Products Association’s ‘Play Safe….Stay Safe’ initiative, an annual nationwide campaign which aims to raise awareness about the dangers of playing in quarries among children and teenagers and their parents, teachers and other responsible adults. More than 300 youngsters from six different schools from the Pyle and Cynffig area benefitted from the safety day, which took place at Cynffig Comprehensive School.

Stuart Jones, unit manager for nearby Cornelly Quarry, said: ‘Quarries can seem like exciting secret places for children to play in, but they are dangerous with steep embankments and hidden obstructions.

‘Tarmac, with support from the QPA, are doing their utmost to explain these dangers and we hope that teachers and parents alike will join us in getting the message across. Quarries, plants and wharves are not playgrounds, however exciting they may seem, and the dangers they represent to children are very real.’