SafeWork NSW raising awareness for safety initiatives when riding quad bikes

SafeWork NSW are urging farmers to meet safety standards when operating quad bikes to avoid ‘preventable’ deaths. Here’s the latest.

SafeWork NSW is urging farmers and landholders to wear seatbelts and protective gear when operating side-by-side vehicles such as quad bikes after a spate of serious incidents, including three fatalities in recent months.

In the most recent incident on February 14 at Coonamble, a 37-year-old man and a four-year-old were seriously injured after they were ejected from a quad bike. Initial investigations say they were not wearing helmets.

SafeWork is investigating three fatalities since January 1, including a child who died in a side-by-side vehicle in Goohli on January 8, a 51-year-old man who was ejected from a moving side-by-side vehicle in Narromine on January 25 and a 32-year-old female contractor who was thrown from a motorbike near Tibooburra on February 1.

The investigations revealed the occupants were either not wearing a seatbelt or a helmet.

Compliance director Tony Williams advised farmers that children under 16 should not ride or be passengers of side-by-side vehicles or quad bikes because of the instability and weight.

Farmers urged to not have passengers on quad bikes, especially children. Picture: Supplied/National Farmers' Federation

“They are vehicles that are primarily designed for one person, not for doubling, and certainly not doubling children,” Mr Williams said.

“If you are still operating a quad bike, make sure that it’s fitted with a protective device and make sure that there are never any passengers carried.”

Mr Williams said recent fatalities could have been “preventable” if riders used safety features, particularly seatbelts.

SafeWork NSW is reminding farmers to wear helmets, seatbelts and install protective gear on their bikes. Photo: Supplied.

“I think every rider that steps onto a motorbike or a quad bike knows they should be wearing a helmet – it’s something that’s inherent – but for whatever reason, people are choosing or taking the chance that because it’s low speed or flat land that they won’t need a helmet,” he said.

“We see many incidents occurring on dead flat land at low speed where people would become trapped beneath the vehicle or strike their head on the ground with tragic circumstances.

“There is a little bit of complacency there.”

He said the campaign was to inform farmers of the tragic circumstances to ensure safety standards were introduced on properties.

There have been three fatalities this year. Photo: Supplied.

Farmsafe Australia’s executive officer Stevi Howdle said the statistics continued to point to the need to raise awareness about the choices farmers can make to increase their chances of arriving home safely at the end of the day.

“We need to remember that every injury or fatality statistic represents a human being with family, friends and community who are the ones that deal with the ripple effects when something goes tragically wrong on farm,” Ms Howdle said.

“Our farmers health and wellbeing are important.

“They are somebody’s loved ones and we need to do everything we can to keep them working safely.”