A quarry or mine runs on records: daily plant checks, statutory tip and lagoon inspections, health and safety audits against the Quarries Regulations. Each one has to survive an HSE inspector, an insurer or a dispute years later. So the real question about quarry inspection software is not which app has the most features. It is which tool makes the record get written while the operator is still at the face, not reconstructed from memory that night.
Guide · Mining
Quarry and mine inspection software for the UK.
A practical guide to recording statutory quarry and mine inspections in the field, from plant and tip checks to health and safety audits, using a WhatsApp workflow your operators already know instead of another app to install.
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The point
Software does not make the inspection valid.
The competent person does. Software makes the record easier to complete at the face, harder to forget an item, and faster to hand back to the office. A good tool means nobody reconstructs a tip inspection from memory in the wheel loader at the end of the shift.
One platform, three duties
Where quarry and mine teams use it.
Mobile and fixed plant
LOLER and PUWER checks
Crushers, screens, conveyors, excavators and dump trucks inspected under LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998, with photos logged as each item is checked.
Tips and lagoonsTip and tailings inspections
Statutory tip and tailings lagoon inspections captured as evidence for the appointed geotechnical specialist under the quarries regime.
Site health and safetyQuarries Regs audits
Health and safety audits against the Quarries Regulations 1999, covering vehicle and pedestrian segregation, dust and edge protection.
The friction
Most inspection apps never get used on site.
An operator halfway up a quarry face is not opening a bespoke app with a fresh login. They use it for a week, then quietly go back to paper and fill it in later. The record you complete at the point of observation beats the one you rebuild that evening, every time.
Run inspections on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Operators use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or photo. The report generates itself. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- Quarry and mine inspection covers three common duties: mobile and fixed plant checks, statutory tip and tailings inspections, and site health and safety audits.
- Quarries in Great Britain are regulated under the Quarries Regulations 1999; mines under the Mines Regulations 2014; both sit under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and MHSWR.
- Plant such as crushers, conveyors and excavators falls under LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998; the HSE is the regulator.
- Most operators never fill in a dedicated app on site. They complete it later, from memory, and the record suffers.
- The software captures the evidence and generates the report. It does not replace the competent person, or the appointed geotechnical specialist for a tip assessment.
The point
What quarry inspection software is actually for
Quarries and mines generate a heavy stream of records: pre-use and periodic plant checks, statutory tip and tailings lagoon inspections, and health and safety audits of the working site. Each has its own duty holder and its own audience, from the HSE to insurers to the operator's own safety manager. What they share is that the record has to be accurate, timestamped and complete.
Software does not make any of these inspections valid. The competent person does. What software does is make the record easier to complete correctly on site, harder to forget an item, and faster to deliver. That outweighs any feature list. The tool's only job is to make on-site completion the path of least resistance for an operator who is dusty, at the face and short of time.
The regime
Quarries Regs, Mines Regs and the HSE
Quarries in Great Britain are regulated under the Quarries Regulations 1999, which set duties on the operator for the safe design and operation of the site, including excavation and tip stability, traffic management and health surveillance. Mines fall under the Mines Regulations 2014. Both sit under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). The Health and Safety Executive is the regulator and enforces on site.
Quickler captures each inspection as the operator carries it out, with photos attached at the point of observation rather than sorted out later. The office sees status on a dashboard without chasing. It does not replace the judgement of a competent person, and this guide is not legal advice. Check the current regulations and your own site rules before relying on any template.
Plant, tips, audits
The three duties in one place
Plant inspection. Mobile plant such as excavators and dump trucks, and fixed plant such as crushers, screens and conveyors, fall under PUWER 1998, with lifting equipment under LOLER 1998. Quickler records the pre-use and periodic check against each item. See the quarry plant inspection checklist.
Tip and tailings. Tips and tailings lagoons carry statutory inspection duties under the quarries regime, and geotechnical assessment by an appointed specialist. Quickler records the operator's inspection as evidence; it does not replace the specialist's assessment. See tip and tailings inspection reports.
Safety audit. A site health and safety audit against the Quarries Regs covers vehicle and pedestrian segregation, edge protection, dust and more. See the mines and quarries safety audit guide.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most inspection apps charge per seat. For a quarry operator that is the wrong shape: the office manager who reads one audit a month pays the same as the shift supervisor who files four a week, and every subcontractor you add costs more.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Add as many operators, supervisors, managers and admins as you like; you pay for the reports you file, not the people who could file them. Pricing is approximate and shifts, so check the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
What is quarry inspection software?
It is any tool that helps a quarry or mine operator record an inspection and produce a report: plant checks, statutory tip and tailings inspections, and health and safety audits. The options range from paper, to generic audit apps like iAuditor, to conversation-based tools like Quickler that run the workflow over WhatsApp so there is no app to install.
What regulations govern quarry and mine inspections in the UK?
Quarries in Great Britain are regulated under the Quarries Regulations 1999 and mines under the Mines Regulations 2014, both under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and MHSWR. Plant is covered by PUWER 1998 and LOLER 1998. The HSE is the regulator. This is not legal advice; check the current regulations for your site.
Can I run quarry inspections over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's workflows run over the WhatsApp Business API. The operator receives each question in their existing WhatsApp chat, replies with text, a voice note or a photo, and the completed report generates automatically. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf.
Does the software replace the competent person or geotechnical specialist?
No. Quickler captures the evidence and generates the report. It does not make an inspection valid, and a statutory geotechnical tip assessment still needs the appointed specialist. The competent person carries the judgement; the software carries the record.