We're Living in Rocks and SOIL! (Lesson 2) Virtual Quarry

Lesson 3: Safety at the beginning, middle and end.
Prior Knowledge / Work:

This literacy lesson helps children understand the quarried origins of most
common building materials. This learning occurs in the context of discussing safety
issues. A musical alternative to achieving the first learning objective of this lesson
is in the unit Were living in rocks and SOIL! (Lesson 2)
The lesson uses information contained in the Virtual Quarry downloaded from this
website.
It could also be used after a class visit to a real working quarry!
This lesson provides an opportunity for children to cut and paste on an interactive
whiteboard display.
Learning Objectives:
To understand the origins of quarried building materials.

To group and sequence key ideas.
To know that safety is an important consideration in any activity.
Subject Links:
Literacy. Non fiction reading comprehension. (POS 2c, 5f, 5g, 9a, 9b)
PSHE and citizenship. Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle
Resources:
ICT, interactive whiteboard and the Virtual Quarry downloaded from this
website.
Worksheet 1 downloaded from this Virtual Quarry website. View on the
interactive whiteboard in Reading layout format using the option of multiple
pages.
A copy of the school fire and evacuation policy downloaded for display.
Background Information:
Safety is a key concern at all working quarries. A risk assessment is completed for
all procedures.
Quarry workers are protected in many ways. Some of these protection and the
safety procedures are highlighted in the Virtual Quarry.
Safety Protection
In the virtual quarry all workers wear high visibility appropriate clothing with hard
hat skull protection. All workers are required to report their presence to a
supervisor once inside the quarry boundary.
Safety Procedures at blasting
In the hard rock Virtual Quarry rock blasting takes place at clearly designated
times. The blasting supervisor gives a sound (siren) and visual (red flag) warning at a
fixed time before the actual blast. All other quarry workers have to leave the
blast area and report to a safe area once the warning is given. The blasting
supervisor checks that the blast area is clear before sheltering in a safe area.
The blast is detonated and the supervisor returns to check that all explosives are
detonated before sounding the all clear. Only after the all clear can other
quarry workers return to the quarry face.
Safety features in quarry machinery
Much quarry machinery is designed to handle large and heavy loads. Vehicles are
designed for strength, good all round visibility and cab protection for the driver.
The vehicles have high visibility flashing warning lights and an automatic sound
warning signal when in reverse gear.
It is important to control the dust in the air both on the quarry site and on nearby
roads. Quarry roadways are sprayed to reduce air borne dust pollution which could
be a health hazard for quarry workers. Public roadways are sprayed and cleaned.
The quarry sequence
The following describes the sequence of activities in obtaining rock from a
limestone quarry.
1. Drilling. Holes are drilled in area of rock face. The holes are filled with
explosives.
2. Explosion. Following a sequence of warning signals the explosive is detonated.
3. Excavation. When a siren indicates that the detonation is safely complete a
huge mechanical excavator lifts the pieces of broken rock into a dumper
truck.
4. Transportation. The huge dumper truck carries a massive weight of rock and
tips it into the crushing machinery.
5. Crushing. The rocks are crushed in machinery and carried on mechanical
conveyors to sieves.
6. Sieving. The rock is sieved into different sizes and taken to a store.
7. Transportation. The quarry products are transported away from the quarry
by road and rail to the user.
The quarried material is taken away and used in the manufacture of building
materials (E.g. cement, concrete, asphalt.) and other products (E.g. toothpaste,
farm soil improver, cleaning materials, treating and cleaning water etc.).
Activity:
Tell the children that they are going to find out where many of the materials used
to make buildings and other structures come from.
Tell the children that they are going to watch the Virtual Quarry. Tell them to look
carefully for anything that is designed to keep the quarry workers safe.
At the end of the Virtual Quarry sequence discuss the childrens observations.
Replay the Virtual Quarry if necessary.
Now display to the children worksheet 1 in the format described in resources

above.
Explain the meaning of the term supervisor.
Tell the children that a quarry supervisor has invented a game that is used to teach
new workers how to be safe in the quarry. Tell the children that the safety
instructions that the new workers need to understand are listed on page 1 of the
worksheet but they are in the wrong order.
The children are to be new workers. They are going to use the computer to cut
and paste each safety instruction under a heading on page 2. Then they are going to
rearrange each group of sentences into in a new more sensible order.
Firstly, together read each of the instructions.
Explain that the instructions are either for:
When workers arrive at the quarry.
When blasting takes place.
Before workers leave the quarry.
Select a child in turn to cut and paste each rule under an appropriate heading.
Ask the child to explain the reasons for their decision.
Then select a child to cut and paste each group of sentences into a sensible order.
Discuss the childrens answers.
Finally in the plenary show and discuss with the children how the schools
registration and fire and evacuation policies protect their safety.
The New Quarry workers safety game.

Here is one sensible solution. There may be other equally sensible answers.
When workers arrive at the quarry.
1. All workers must keep these rules. They are for the safety of everyone in
the quarry.
2. When workers arrive they must tell the supervisor and put on their safety
clothing.
3. Workers must wear their safety clothing until they leave the quarry.
When blasting takes place.
4. Workers must find out the time when blasting will take place.
5. When workers hear the siren or see the red flag they must go to the safe
place.
6. Workers must stay in the safe place until the all clear siren sounds and
the red flag is taken down.
Before workers leave the quarry.
7. At the end of the day workers must give back their safety equipment.
8. Workers must tell the supervisor that they are leaving the quarry.

We're Living in Rocks and SOIL! (Lesson 2) Virtual Quarry

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

We're Living in Rocks and SOIL! (Lesson 2) Virtual Quarry

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

We're Living in Rocks and SOIL! (Lesson 2) Virtual Quarry

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 3: Safety at the beginning, middle and end.

Prior Knowledge / Work:

To understand the origins of quarried building materials.

Now display to the children worksheet 1 in the format described in resources

The New Quarry workers safety game.

You might also like