Member consultation has established that the industry wishes: ‘to be valued as an essential and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable industry of significance to the economy and our way of life’ and perceived as:
The following 7 Strategic Priorities underpin the achievement of the Vision for 2025.
The broad objectives of the 7 Strategic Priorities are as indicated below. Delivery of the objectives and targets, where applicable, is managed through MPA’s Committees and Working Groups.
Health considerations are an embedded part of all aspects of the Safer by Competence framework.
MPA and its members have committed to Vision Zero – to ensure that everyone goes home – Safe & Well Every Day
Vision Zero is built around eliminating the causes of ‘The Fatal 6’. These are the high consequence hazards that analysis has shown are responsible for the majority of the fatalities, serious injuries and long term ill health in the industry. The strategy is to focus on these hazards in the work environment and, through a wide range of measures, achieve zero serious incidents or fatalities associated with ‘The Fatal 6’ by 2025.
This will only be possible if everyone within the industry understands and commits to this vision. Everyone has a role to play to ensure that they are doing their best to ensure they are keeping both themselves and their colleagues safe.
The Vision incorporates 6 values relating to Health and Safety. Collectively we will need to embrace these to help bring about changes in our behaviour. Many of these values are already well established in the culture of organisations working within the Mineral Products industry.
The MPA has developed 6 strategies to support its members in achieving Vision Zero. It will monitor the industry’s performance by reviewing both leading and lagging indicators;
Analysis has identified 6 high consequence hazards in the Mineral Products industry that account for 94% of all fatalities.
MPA has set up a working group for each theme. They are tasked to develop recommendations and resources to help the industry to eliminate the causes of ‘The Fatal 6’.
Information about the ‘The Fatal 6’ and the resources available to help mitigate them are all accessible on ‘The Fatal 6’ section of Safequarry.
MPA runs two campaigns specifically designed to address public safety issues:
Skills and Competence: ensure all employees and contractors have the necessary and relevant skills and competences
Equality and Diversity: encourage opportunities in the industry for all, attracting and retaining the best talent
Local Communities: engage fully with local communities and strive to be good neighbours
Over the last 25 years the industry has established a proven track record in operating sites to higher technical and environmental standards. The external appearance, installation and operation of sites and the distribution activity they generate, matter to local communities. By engaging more the industry can build trust.
The industry operates to planning permissions, environmental permits and other statutory and voluntary controls to ensure that those effects are minimised and mitigated. It is vital that the industry is not only seen to do what is required of it, but when it commits to do something, it delivers on those commitments. Building trust in this way can help improve perceptions of the industry and help operators develop and maintain a track record that may assist them when seeking future planning permissions and permits.
The MPA Good Neighbour Scheme responds to the one of MPA’s 7 Strategic Priorities relating to People and its objective for Local Communities, “to engage fully with local communities and strive to be good neighbours.” It sets out what operators expect of themselves and makes clear to local communities and others what is reasonable for them to expect from the industry “on the ground”.
Conformity with planning and permitting conditions and schemes is the baseline for acceptable operational performance. Consideration should be given to forming a Community Engagement Plan in accordance with MPA guidance.
The Scheme consists of the following elements: