Industry Articles

New Good Practice Guide for Handling Soils in Mineral Workings

The focus of current UK Government policy in England, as set out in its 25 Year Environmental Plan (DEFRA, 2018), is to safeguard all soil resources (as Natural Capital, DEFRA, 2021). These policies are to be followed by the mineral extraction industry and regulated by the planning authorities. By 2030 all soils are to be managed sustainably.

Over the years, the annual Institute of Quarrying (IQ) Student Awards have recognised the exceptional achievements of countless individuals committed to improving their knowledge at the University of Derby’s Centre for Mineral Products Professional Development. But the awards are just part of the story. So where are some of these award winners now?

Getting the Most Out of IQ Membership

The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) has over 2,800 UK members, representing all aspects of the minerals extractive and quarrying industries from health and safety to geology, explosives and sustainability.

Last month Martin Riley, senior vice-president of Tarmac, became new President of the Institute of Quarrying (IQ), succeeding his predecessor Phil Redmond. In a recent Zoom interview with QM, he spoke about a global vision for IQ, the key priorities for the professional body and the challenges facing the minerals extractives sector in the post-pandemic world.

Last year the Institute of Quarrying launched its ‘Creating Future Leaders’ strategy at the Fellows Lunch. The strategy set out the vision and role of IQ in the mineral products industry.

The IQ branch community network has been a benefit of IQ membership from the earliest days of the Institute’s history. By 1920 there were certainly already branches operating in both North and South Wales along with the West, North and Midlands regions of England.

This will be a year that few of us will ever forget. So much of what we have known has gone out of the window, not just at work but in our social and personal lives too. We have had to find new ways of being engaged and connected with ourselves and others.

Operators across the mineral products and quarrying sector share many recruitment challenges. These include replacing an ageing workforce, skills retention, and presenting the sector as an attractive choice for today’s school, college and university leavers.

The UK mineral extractives sector directly employs 74,000 people at over 2,000 active sites and plants, and supports an additional 3.5 million jobs throughout the supply chain¹. Keeping our industry attuned to the latest thinking on safety, health and environmental knowledge is a major undertaking and a key priority for the Institute of Quarrying (IQ).