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ANNEXIJKE B QUABBIES REPORT BY THE INSPECTOR OF QUARRIES FOR THE NORTH ISLAND (R. C. Ruffin) The following is my report for the year ended 31st December, 1949, covering surface and underground work done under the provisions of the Quarries Act, 1944, within the North Island District under my inspection. Quarries A total of 320 (surface) quarries were worked during the year 1949, being an increase of 51 compared with last year, and the number of men employed at quarrying for the same period was 1,143, showing an increase of 91 over that for 1948. Total Output op Quarries The total output of material quarried for the year 1949 is 2,287,693 tons, valued in the quarries at £763,382, compared with 1,902,323 tons, valued at £598,684, for 1948. Throughout the year I found a healthy activity prevailing in the industry, and this is reflected in an increased output, which apparently is on the up-grade. It is pleasing to note that there is an increase in the tonnage of agricultural lime produced, but the large limeworks are not working to anything near their capacity to produce. Underground Quarries Auckland City Council Waterworks Development.—Cossey's Creek Gorge Tunnel: Inlet end, 624 ft. driven, size 6 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. 6 in. ; outlet end, 600 ft., timbered where necessary. There is still 2,150 ft. to complete. Walsh's Tunnel: 7 ft. 4 in. circular, arch timbered, 914 ft. completed. Ardmore Ridge Tunnel: Main south end, 1,650 ft. driven; north end, 190 ft. driven; 5,525 ft. to finish. Butterworth's Tunnel: Dimensions, 7 ft. 4 in. circular ; 923 ft. completed. Reid's Tunnel No. 1 : Dimensions, 7 ft. 4 in. circular; 725 ft. completed. Redoubt Road Tunnel; South end, 9 ft. 6 in. circular, 360 ft. driven; 1,890 ft. to complete. Redoubt Tunnel: North end, 9 ft. 6 in. circular, 250 ft. driven; 1,530 ft. to complete. The working conditions and supervision of these tunnels are good. Auckland City Council. —Fanshawe Street: A party of men are engaged sinking and tunnelling. Wellington City Council. —Wadestown-Ngaio Access, Blackbridge Road Tunnel: During my last inspection the tunnel had been produced 200 ft.; the estimated completed length is 420 ft. Tunnel dimensions, 7 ft. by 6 ft. and timbered where necessary. Pipitea - Hill Street Tunnel: 1,500 ft. driven. The finished concrete size is 5 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. North of the shaft, 500 ft. of tunnel is on timber ready to be concrete lined. Fatal Accidents Fatality : John Birch received fatal injuries when attempting to clear a belt from a driving-pulley in a crushing plant at the Hukerenui Quarry, north of Whangarei, on 17th January, 1949. The belt caught his legs and hauled him between a revolving shaft and the ground floor. This accident does not come within the provisions of the Quarries Act, 1944. Fatality: Charles William Mills. Mills was killed on 3rd March, 1949, at the Kaigoose Limeworks, near Maungatapere, when feeding the pulverizer with limestone. I reported this accident, but, similarly to the above, it does not come within the provisions of the Quarries Act, 1944. It should be noted that, although the sites of the foregoing accidents were inspected, the crushing plants concerned are registered as factories and therefore do not properly come within the jurisdiction of an Inspector under the Quarries Act. Serious Accidents On the sth January, 1949, at the Waipa Quarries, Ngaruawahia, L. J. Hyde received injury to his left breast when feeding a swing-jaw crusher. A piece of rock was ejected from the jaw, striking him on the breast. At the Hendon Avenue Quarry, Mount Albert, on the 7th March, 1949, Nick Unkovich sustained the loss of a thumb and two fingers of his left hand caused by a premature explosion when he was crimping a detonator to a safety-fuse. Minor Accidents Injury to E. Booth when working at the Whangarei Borough Council's quarry on the 9th June, 1949. Booth received injury to his right eye when changing a drill steel. Prosecutions Under the Quarries Act, 1944 Nil.

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