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Quad bike safety regulations receive a boost

In the wake of several recent accidents involving quad bikes, WorkCover NSW has announced the release of several promotional tools to be provided to farmers, retailers and adventure tour operators.

A combination of brochures, posters and pre-sale checklists have been issued by the official body in order to help reduce the number of injuries sustained by the drivers of these all-terrain vehicles (ATV).

WorkCover says it has produced over 30,000 copies of the booklet that details essential practices and general tips to help keep riders safe from injury.

Speaking on the release, acting chair of the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA), Peter Dunphy said that the new publications were just the beginning of a range of measures that will be rolled out to ATV owners and operators over the next few months.

Dunphy asserted: "Quad bikes are an important and popular piece of farm equipment, but they present serious safety risks in the event of an incident.

"This is highlighted by the more than 140 quad bike deaths on Australian farms since 2000."

The role of sales staff at dealerships was also touched on by Dunphy, who said that they played a critical role in terms of informing their customers on the hazards to be aware of when considering a quad bike for agricultural use.

"As with any purchase of farm equipment, HWSA recommends farmers speak to their vehicle dealer about their personal situation and follow the manufacturer's recommendations for use," said Dunphy

WorkCover and the HWSA have also endorsed a range of other measures put forward by the ATV production industry.

These include the use of helmets by all riders, mandatory pre-sales training checks, better roll-bar features and further improvements to the availability of safety literature at the point of sale.

Part of the difficulty in enforcing these standards on quad bike riders is that the majority of users are involved in agricultural work that is not usually accessible by traditional avenues such as police.

However, because many farms are considered to be businesses, it may be the case that these safety measures help to reduce workplace injuries.

In cases where employees are hurt during a quad bike accident, they may be able to have their medical costs covered with the assistance of a compensation lawyer.

A no win no fee law firm is able to provide an up-front assessment that allows victims to explore their legal options before launching a claim.

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