In Bremanger in Western Norway, rocks were blasted from the top of the mountain. It is crushed and transported by large ships to the continent. In some European countries there is a shortage of stone. Therefore, they import for road construction, asphalt and railways. But the Dutch labor inspectorate believes that the stone from Norway is dangerous to health. Stone dust from work with so-called ballast stones on the railway network makes workers sick, according to the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Photo: Jos van Zetten / Bnnvara Disclosure in the Netherlands Last year, the Dutch engraving department Zembla revealed that railway workers have become ill. The stone from Norway contains large amounts of quartz, the most fine-grained dust from this mineral is dangerous. It goes completely into the lungs, attaches and does not disappear. The consequence of inhaling too much is lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema, and lung cancer. In the Dutch TV documentary, a railway worker told how he was ill and disabled after working with the stone for many years. From the Dutch TV documentary. The worker had become disabled. Photo: Facsimile / bannavara The workers in the Netherlands had worked without protective equipment for a long time. It was also reported that the Dutch railway authority, Prorail, was aware of the risk of working unprotected. After the documentary came the warning which in practice is a ban on the Norwegian stone from the Dutch labor inspectorate. From March this year, the requirement for quartz-free stone applies in railway tunnels and at train stations. From 1 September, the requirement applies to the entire railway network in the Netherlands. A total of 7000 kilometers. How dangerous is the stone? The stone from Bremanger Quarry is, among other things, used as so-called railway ballast. The Dutch company Bontrup started the quarry in 2001. They explain that the stone is particularly strong and durable. Over 70 percent of the stone on the railway network comes from here. There are several such large quarries in Norway, which deliver to Europe. Photo: Steinar Lote / news The Dutch railway authority, Prorail, has so far complied with the requirement and now uses German stone without quartz in tunnels and train stations. But on the rest of the railway network, they wish to continue to be able to use stones of the type that today come from Norway. Therefore, they have hired lawyers, and do not rule out that the case will end up in the court system. – The use of quartz-free stone on a large scale is not possible, because we only get limited quantities. write Prorail in an e-mail to news. They say they have been looking for another stone for almost a year without closing. Prorail emphasizes that since the revelations last year, they have tightened requirements for health and safety. Bontrup believes a ban on the stone they deliver from Bremanger can have significant consequences. – Not only for Bremanger Quarry and other quarries in Norway and Europe, but the entire construction industry. No other country in the EU has introduced similar restrictions, writes spokesman Hans Stupers in an e-mail. The mine in Bremanger is located in an area with a lot of sandstone. The stone is hard and suitable for roads and railways. The quartz content is 40 percent. Photo: Steinar Lote / news The Dutch Labor Inspectorate will not comment on the case to news, and points out that they do not comment on individual companies. Nor will they answer whether quartz stone can be banned in the rest of the construction industry as well. According to Zembla, the Authority believes that there is an alternative to the stone from Norway, in large quantities. Arbeidstilsynet has not checked in Norway In Norway, stone for railways is collected from local quarries around the country. Quartz is quite common in Norwegian mountains, and the second most common mineral in the earth’s crust worldwide. Bane Nor is responsible for the railway network in this country. They say they do not make demands on quartz in stone. Rather, requirements are made that the stone should not be too fine-grained, and have resistance to wear. – Dust is otherwise a well-known problem in the construction industry, which is a major focus in HSE work, says Eivind Hegbom, who is group leader for tunnel and engineering geology at Bane Nor. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in Norway also has a different approach than in the Netherlands. The Working Environment Act sets limits on how much quartz can be in the air. This applies to all workplaces in Norway. Quartz is not hazardous to health until it becomes very fine-grained dust through crushing, blasting or drilling. But the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority admits that they have not checked the amount of dust around the railway workers in this country. – It is possible that we will carry out inspections later, says senior adviser Anne Marie Lund Eikrem in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. The stone from the top of the mountain is shipped out at this quay facility in Bremanger. Photo: Steiner Lote / news Plan to expand the quarry Bontrup plans to expand with another large quarry in Bremanger, and they are sticking to their plans. According to the company, stone for the railway network is a relatively small part of the total production at Bremanger Quarry. 50 employees work here. Nevertheless, they hope that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in the Netherlands will turn around. – We do not believe that this discussion will affect operations and our future plans to expand, says Hans Stupers. Hi! Do you have tips and suggestions for this or similar issues, or have you worked in the construction industry and have problems with stone dust? Then I would like to hear from you. Send me an email!
ttn-69
Norwegian stone is banned in the Netherlands – news Vestland
