Quarry Safety
Quarry Brake Testing
Brake testing on quarry plant and equipment, including loading shovels, rigid dump trucks and articulated dumpers — keeping these machines safe and compliant with statutory legislation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007.
Why brake testing matters
A loaded rigid truck or loading shovel can weigh over 50 tonnes. On a quarry haul road, a brake failure at that weight is catastrophic — for the driver, for anyone working on the floor, and for the business. Brake wear is gradual, so a machine can feel “fine” to the operator right up until it isn’t. A measured brake test takes the guesswork out and gives you a documented result for every machine.
What the law requires
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 a vehicle is a place of work, and employers must maintain work equipment in a condition that is safe and without risk. The General Application Regulations 2007 require work equipment to be inspected where deterioration could create a danger, and the Quarry Regulations require a scheme for the systematic inspection and maintenance of vehicles and mobile plant. Formal brake testing is how quarries demonstrate their braking systems meet that standard.
What gets tested
- Rigid quarry dump trucks and articulated dumpers
- Loading shovels and wheeled loaders
- Telehandlers and loadalls working in the quarry
- Excavators and other tracked plant where travel brakes apply
- Service brakes, secondary brakes and parking brakes
How the test is carried out
The test is carried out on site on level ground using electronic brake testing equipment, so each machine is off the job for minutes rather than a day in a workshop. The machine is driven at test speed and the braking performance measured and recorded, with the parking brake checked on a gradient where required. Any machine that fails is reported immediately with the reason, so repairs can be arranged before it goes back to work.
Certification and records
Results are documented on a GA1 Report of Inspection for your safety statement and quarry file, ready for any HSA inspection or audit. Each machine can also be fitted with a Smartcode QR tag so the current report can be pulled up on the spot with a phone scan.
Related inspections
Brake testing is usually carried out during the same visit as the plant inspection or GA1 inspection of the machine, saving downtime. Call 083 870 5355 to book.
Frequently asked questions
- What is quarry brake testing?
- Quarry brake testing is a measured test of the service and parking brakes on heavy quarry mobile plant — loading shovels, rigid dump trucks and articulated dumpers — to prove the machine can stop and hold safely. Results are recorded and issued with a GA1 Report of Inspection.
- Is brake testing a legal requirement in Ireland?
- Yes. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, work equipment — including quarry vehicles — must be maintained in a safe condition, and the Quarry Regulations require a scheme for the inspection and maintenance of mobile plant. Brake testing is the accepted way of demonstrating the brakes meet that standard.
- Which machines do you brake test?
- Rigid quarry trucks, articulated dumpers, loading shovels, excavators with travel brakes, telehandlers and any other mobile plant operating in the quarry or on the haul roads.
- How often should quarry brakes be tested?
- Formal brake testing is normally carried out annually as part of the GA1 inspection, with daily operator brake checks in between. Testing is also recommended after brake repairs, after an incident, or where haul road gradients change.
- Do you carry out brake testing on site?
- Yes. Testing is done in your quarry or yard on level ground, so machines are off the job for minutes rather than days. L&M is based in Castletownbere, Co. Cork and covers quarries nationwide — call 083 870 5355 to book.