June Insight:

A rather quiet month for us in terms of announcements, but there has still been plenty happening behind the scenes across our three quarries.

Cement:

A brand-new addition to Mill Hill’s product range is plastic bagged cement. This gives our customers the convenience of collecting the cement alongside their usual slate and aggregate requirements. Plus, it saves an extra trip to Timbuktu trying to find it elsewhere!

We’re not sure why we didn’t think of it sooner, as there is a demand for it and we have regular customers who used to buy sand for example from us and then travelled elsewhere for their cement. It’s a no-brainer…

Weather:

The end of the month has brought scorching hot weather. One thing you need to know about quarries and the heat is that long periods of dry weather can increase dust around quarry roads, stockpiles and especially the entrance to the site.

It sometimes looks like a bomb has gone off and when the wind picks up, the dust swirls around the quarry – meaning that our dust management becomes an important part of maintaining safety and operations for our staff, visitors, customers and of course, surrounding neighbours.

Hydration, hydration and more hydration remain paramount when working in the direct, burning hot sun and we ensure that all staff remain alert to the effects of heat.

It’s not just the staff that can be affected by this heat; the machinery can suffer too! Regular checks are a must as the hot and dusty conditions can jam up machines, dry out belts and overheat.

Slate Walls:

Sunny weather is however a reminder of how clean and sharp slate walls can look.

In bright sunlight, the individual pieces of stone become more defined, bringing out the subtle changes in colour and texture across the wall. Add a splash of water and the wall will shine.

As June comes to a close, we would like to thank our team for continuing to work hard through the heat and our customers for their ongoing support.

For information about our slate and aggregate products, please contact your nearest RTC quarry.