Rain Water and Silt Storage Area Created at Roke Manor Quarry

A rain water and silt storage area has now been created and is located in Phase 1B of the quarry.

The ponds act as rain water storage for the site, allowing the water to then be used to operate the plant and for dust suppression.

The silt from the plant is also stored within the ponds, enabling the site team to stop using the centrifuge which was both costly and inefficient.

The silt now gets pumped via pipes direct to the ponds in Phase 1B, rather than being transported around the site by plant, meaning it is more economic and ecologically friendly.

Roke Manor Quarry Phases 2 and 3

The newly constructed phases 2 and 3 of the quarry have now been lined with clay and are ready for tipping with inert construction arisings.

Tipping will commence this week, with the first area containing 35,000 cubic metres and the second phase to contain 15,000 cubic metres of material.

It is intended that the cells will be filled and the topsoil laid in the new year, with the first crop of grass sown in spring.

 

Raymond Brown are delighted to welcome Don Coates to the business as Chief Executive Officer

Raymond Brown are delighted to announce Don Coates as the group’s new Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment is a key part of Raymond Brown’s future growth strategy, which will see Don steering the business through its growth and expansion plans.

Don commented: “Raymond Brown is a well-respected business and I am excited to be joining at a key time in the Group’s development when there are many great prospects.  I will ensure that we remain committed to our employees, customers, local communities, health and safety and improving the environment, which underpins our core values.  I look forward to supporting the senior team in leading the group through this next phase.”

Don has 30 years’ experience in manufacturing, working across a variety of sectors, and has led several businesses as CEO in both private and public company environments, including 17 years with DS Smith Plc, where his responsibilities included running the UK’s largest waste paper recycler.

Don will be working closely with Chief Operating Officer, Steve Clasby, Chief Financial Officer, Wayne Roberts, and the management team.

Steve Clasby commented: “On behalf of the Raymond Brown team, I would like to welcome Don, who we are thrilled to have on board.  I very much look forward to working with Don to make the most of the opportunities ahead as we continue our success into the future.”

Local Resident gifts Roke Manor Quarry with Oak Saplings

Roke Manor Quarry has received a number of oak tree saplings which have been grown by a local resident over the last few years with the help of her grandson.

The oak tree saplings, which are being nurtured by the site Weighbridge Operator, Beverley Rutter, will be planted within the quarry woodland over the coming months, with the potential for some to be planted at the nearby Brickworth Quarry as well, where around 5,000 trees are being planted as part of the site restoration work.

Upgrades to Test Way Footpath Site Access

The Roke Manor Quarry field conveyors (which are used to transport as dug gravels to the processing plant) at one point cross the Test Way footpath.

This is regularly used by members of the public and local residents.

In order to make the footpath more accessible during the winter months, the original pathway has now been upgraded with concrete at the point where the footpath crosses the site road. This ensures it remains safe for both members of the public and site vehicles.

The work was completed on time over the Bank Holiday period to allow the concrete to set prior to the heavy plant using it.

Raymond Brown Donate Toys to Wellow Village Hall Baby and Toddler Group

Raymond Brown visited Wellow Village Hall Baby and Toddler Group and donated a  Little Tikes Activity Gym and petrol pump as part of the companies Community Matters Initiative.

The group is run on a voluntary basis and is a great opportunity for parents and toddlers to meet and socialise on a regular basis.

Julie Jager who runs the Tots Group commented “ Thank you so much to Raymond Brown for donating the toys, they are wonderful and will make a big difference to the children. It was so very kind of you, we can’t thank you enough”.

Fairisle Junior School Cycling Safety Lorry Visit

Accompanied by Sustrans, we took one of our HGV tipper lorries into Fairisle Junior School in Southampton, to increase knowledge of cycling, scooting and walking participation in the local area and to demonstrate ‘Blind spots’ etc as part of road safety for the children.

The children were invited to walk around the Raymond Brown lorry, pick out/spot any warning signs displayed on the lorry and to sit in the lorry cab to make them aware of what HGV drivers are able to view when driving.

‘Sustrans’ talked to the children in great depth about road safety, riding of cycles on the roads and what to be generally aware of when out and about. They also made them aware of the importance of reducing congestion and pollution around the school and the beneficial effects it would have on the children’s mental and physical health.

The children really enjoyed the visit and Headteacher, Peter Howard commented: “Thank you so much for coming to us today, it was brilliant to see the children’s faces especially when they were in the cab. I think we taught everyone a very valuable and potentially lifesaving lesson this morning.’’

Exciting News for Roke Manor Quarry

On 1 September, Roke Manor Quarry had the delivery of a new Bell B30E Dump Truck, a much improved, safer and more economic model.

It features a tailgate, wider tyres, rider control (to make it more comfortable for the operator), an onboard weigher, a device to restrict the tipping and telemetry, which updates daily to give the following information: loads tipped, cycle times, amounts in tonnes moved, litres per hour of fuel used and tyre pressures.

We are pleased to announce that an electricity cable has been installed at Roke Manor, with a sub-lease granted to Scottish and Southern Electricity. The electricity supply to the site had previously been running on diesel powered generators.

In November, the generators were removed from site and a transformer was installed.  Not only is this much more efficient, with less fuel being utilised, there has also been a considerable drop in noise levels now the generators have gone.

Conveyors installed at Roke Manor Quarry

Brand new 800m long conveyor belts have been installed at Roke Manor Quarry to transport the aggregate from the excavation area to the processing plant.

Extracted material at the quarry will now be transported to the processing plant by new overland conveyors to reduce impacts from the heavy plant movements.

The conveyor was installed over a three week period by Atherton Materials Handling Ltd and starts from the current extraction area in phase two and continues through the site.  It travels along the new haul road and under a public footpath to feed straight into the plant hopper, where the plant will continue to process the gravel to produce a range of high-quality aggregate sizes and sand.

The conveyor can take 80-100 tonnes per hour of aggregate and it is significantly quieter and more cost effective than the previous mobile plant movements.  The end of the conveyor which feeds into the hopper can be easily modified and diverted to stockpile within the yard when necessary.

The conveyor also crosses the Test Way footpath, which is regularly used by members of the public and local residents.  In order to keep the footpath open, the site team have installed a bridge which goes over the conveyor so that the footpath could still be used, and a bridle crossing for safe vehicular access through the site.

Raymond Brown picks up prestigious RoSPA Gold Medal for 2017

Raymond Brown are delighted to announce themselves as winners at the RoSPA Health and Safety Awards 2017.

The business achieved the Gold Medal for eight consecutive Golds Awards in the prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The award was achieved during a special year for family-safety charity RoSPA, as it celebrates its centenary.

Through the RoSPA Awards scheme, which is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas, judges consider entrants’ overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards are the most prestigious in the world of occupational health and safety, and held in high regard around the world, as winning one demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record. Achieving the standard required is no mean feat.

“This is a special year in the history of RoSPA, and we congratulate all of our winners in this, our centenary year”.

The majority of awards are non-competitive and mark achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels. Gold medals, president’s awards and orders of distinction are presented to organisations sustaining the high standards of the gold level over consecutive years.

For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards