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SAFETY AND HEALTH ALERTS AND GUIDANCE
QUAD BIKES – CHANGES TO THE RULES Every year, quad bikes are a major cause of death and serious injury in rural workplaces, with many incidents associated with rollovers. ...
The risk of a rollover increases if the quad bike is crossing slopes, travelling at high speed, towing an attachment, travelling over rocky or uneven ground or carrying a heavy or unstable load; for example, chemicals for spraying.
CHANGES TO THE RULES On rural properties quad bikes are involved in more fatalities than motorcycles and more injuries than tractors yet, until now, quad bikes were not subject to an Australian Government product safety standard. Both the Federal and WA Government product safety standards have recently changed to require businesses who supply new quad bikes (also known as all-terrain vehicles [ATVs]) to have improved markings and require the fitting of Operator Protection Devices (OPDs) at the time of supply. The changes to the laws are required to be fully implemented by 11 October 2021.
TOP SAFETY TIPS •• Choose the right vehicle for the job •• Riders must be physically able to control the vehicle, trained and wearing a helmet •• Don’t let children ride adult bikes.
| 6 | ThinkSafe vol. 2 no. 1 January 2020
PREVENTING INJURIES AND DEATHS •• Critically assess whether a quad bike is the right vehicle for the job. Is the rider physically capable of an active riding style and over a potentially long time? Side-by-side vehicles may be more suitable in rural workplaces because the operator stays seated and they generally have rollover protection structures and restraints like seat belts. A motorbike could be good for some tasks given their mobility and light weight. •• Towing attachments or carrying loads on the front or rear racks of a quad bike is convenient, but will it affect stability and handling? Liquid loads such as spray tanks are particularly unstable as contents shift when cornering or crossing slopes. •• What terrain will the bike be used in? Rocky, steep, uneven, sandy or muddy terrain will greatly increase the risk of a quad bike rollover. •• Will you carry a passenger? Most quad bikes are designed for one rider. You should never carry a passenger on a single person quad bike.
