Quarry and Mine meetings flush out invisible operators
The quarry and mining sector is discovering dozens of contractors it never knew about.
Accidents like the deaths of two unregistered quarry operators in Canterbury in 2015 have highlighted the need for more training, MinEx industry group leader Les McCracken said.
McCracken, based in Ashburton, said one of its courses in Canterbury "flushed out" about 30 contractors.
The industry was using more portable gear than it used to, and operators did not always know that the law classed them as a mine or quarry operator, he said.
Operators might be farmers or contractors digging relatively small amounts of rock or other aggregate from their property, for jobs such as paving dairy laneways.