Rescue training at Borras quarry

In 2011, Tarmac's Borras quarry, near Wrexham, was the scene for a realistic 999 training exercise staged by the local police, ambulance and fire services. The trauma unit from nearby Maelor Hospital and the North Wales Air Ambulance also took part.

During a staged ‘accident’, three cars were crushed by a milk tanker, with four people needing to be rescued, treated for their ‘injuries’ and ‘taken’ to hospital.

Steve Williams, zone manager for Borras quarry, explained why Tarmac sites are perfect for this valuable training: “Exercises like this require plenty of space, so quarries like Borras are ideal. When asked, we were only too happy to be able to help. The exercise took place well away from the production area of the quarry, and routine maintenance work was unaffected.”

The safety training means local emergency services crews are familiar with the quarry layout, in case of a real crash involving an HGV or other emergency situation. This is a major benefit for Tarmac, as Steve Williams said: “We now know that if we did have an emergency at Borras the emergency services would be very familiar with the site.”

Local Emergency Services were equally appreciative of the opportunity to use Borras quarry for training practice. Crew manager at Wrexham fire station, Andy Williams, remarked: “Without the help of companies like Tarmac we would struggle to carry out realistic training exercises to practise and train for the horrific consequences of a crash involving an HGV. We very much appreciate Tarmac’s time and help in allowing us to stage the accident on its site.”