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Friday, September 8, 1972
The fine granite particles extracted will be used as "filler" to improve
the durability of the asphalt produced by the mixing plant for road surfacing.
Two dust filtration plants adopting this new extracting process will
be installed soon at the two quarries at a cost of nearly $1 million.
Apart from tackling the dust problem, the Quarry Section is also looking
into the safety of the workers.
A quarrying practice, known as the "benching method," is being adopted
and private quarry operators have been informed that they will have to adopt
the same method of quarrying by the end of this year.
Under this method, workers will not be permitted to operate at heights up to
several hundred feet from ground level as is the case now.
Rocks will be blasted from the hillside at varying heights but not more
than 80 feet from one level to the other. In this way, "benches" will be formed.
The spokesman said that the height of the faces will thus be limited
to not more than 80 feet and the risk of falling from a height will be minimised.
The whole modernisation project will cost more than $31⁄2 million.
Production by the quarries will be increased from the present 300,000
tons to 750,000 tons annually on the completion of the scheme.
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