respect the water - holcim uk warns of dangers of going into quarry lakes and lagoons

With recent hot weather there have been a number of incidents at its Grovebury Specialist Sands site in Leighton Buzzard involving young people trying to gain access.

Grovebury is an operational sand extraction site and utilises dredging in a large body of water on site which can reach depths of 12 metres.

And despite looking appealing the quarry lake contains a high level of unstable silt and very cold water which poses a risk to anyone entering.

Calum Bates, Quarry Manager at Grovebury, said: “The fences and warning signage we have in place at the quarry are there for a reason and that is primarily to protect the public from the water.

“We understand during the hot weather we are currently experiencing that people may want to cool off but we want everyone to stay safe and only use designated swimming areas with lifeguards.

“The lake at the quarry contains submerged equipment for dredging. It is not designed for swimming. Its uneven silt layers and the depths it reaches, alongside the fact it remains extremely cold, can lead to shock and prove extremely dangerous, even for strong swimmers, and lead to a potential fatality.

“Unfortunately, we have had a number of incidents in recent weeks of young people trying to get access onto the site to go and swim in the water. We’d urge parents and young people to be aware of the dangers involved and not to ignore the warning signs and fences.”

Holcim UK is an active supporter of the Mineral Products Association’s (MPA) Respect the Water campaign which aims to educate people about the risks associated with water bodies in quarries and other mineral related industrial sites.

It also urges anyone who sees someone struggling in the water to call 999 immediately and promotes the ‘float to live’ advice supported by the ROSPA, the RNLI and emergency services.