Mining & Resources

Quarrying and mining: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your quarrying or mining business (SIC division 08) meets its obligations. Work through the universal quarry-operation items every site shares, then the permits and consents for your specific operation. If you answer no to any item that applies to you, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

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Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Use this checklist to confirm your business meets its obligations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. Section 1 covers running the quarry and employing people; Section 2 covers the permits and consents you need. If you answer no to an item that applies to you, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. Environmental permits are regulated by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland and the NIEA in Northern Ireland. Planning permission is granted by the mineral planning authority.

Section 1 — Running a safe quarry and employing people

These workplace and employment duties apply to every quarrying and mining operation. Confirm each one.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people and others affected by your work. Risk-assess the working — face stability, plant movement, dust, access and egress — and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe quarry or mine".

  2. 2

    Have you appointed a quarry manager, notified HSE and prepared your health and safety document?

    The Quarries Regulations 1999 require a competent quarry manager, notification to HSE before starting a quarry, a health and safety document and geotechnical assessments for excavations and tips. Underground rock-salt mines need a mine manager under the Mines Regulations 2014 instead.

  3. 3

    Have you assessed and controlled respirable crystalline silica and other hazardous substances under COSHH?

    RCS released when cutting, crushing or processing stone, sand and clay is the defining occupational-health hazard. Assess exposure, apply controls and carry out health surveillance where required.

  4. 4

    Is your plant safe under PUWER?

    Keep crushers, screens, conveyors, excavators and haul vehicles maintained, guarded and used by trained operators under PUWER, with LOLER for lifting equipment.

  5. 5

    Have you assessed manual handling and managed fire safety?

    Reduce hazardous handling of materials and equipment; assess fire risk for workplace premises and operate the fire-safety regime for your nation.

  6. 6

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone; do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland); and comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Permits and consents

Confirm each permit or consent you need for your operation.

  1. 1

    Do you hold minerals planning permission?

    Working minerals requires planning permission from the mineral planning authority, with EIA, restoration and aftercare conditions, and periodic review of mineral permissions (ROMP). If not, follow "Get the permits and consents for quarrying and mining".

  2. 2

    Do you hold the environmental permits your activity needs?

    Depending on what you extract and how you process it, you may need environmental permits for discharges to controlled waters, abstraction licences for wet workings, and permits for mineral processing installations. Check the permits guide for your specific activity.

  3. 3

    If you blast: do you hold an explosives licence?

    Where the quarry uses explosives, you need a licence or registration to store them under the Explosives Regulations 2014, with secure storage, separation distances and competent shotfiring.

  4. 4

    If you store dangerous substances above the COMAH thresholds: have you notified the competent authority?

    Sites with dangerous substances above the Schedule 1 thresholds must notify HSE/EA, prepare a major-accident prevention policy and (upper tier) submit a safety report.

  5. 5

    If you extract peat: have you obtained the habitats and EIA consents?

    Peat extraction almost always engages habitats regulations assessment and EIA scrutiny — confirm before committing.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item. The two task guides — the safe-quarry spine and the permits and consents — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative quarrying regulation and permitting guidance.