The New South Wales Department of Industry and Investment has released a formal Health and Safety Alert of quad bikes. As it is not yet available online, it is included below.
Footnote: Quad bike safety will be given a rest for a little while unless there is a significant issue. KJ
reservoir, victoria, australia
I don\’t know who this John Lambert is, but saying that people should wear pushbike helmets on quadbikes does not seem to be a good solution – Elsewhere in the Weekly Times (not online) WorkSafe says lightweight helmets LIKE, but not the same as, pushbike helmets are already on the market…can anyone confirm this…it just seems to be adding to the confusion http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/06/29/351881_opinion-news.html
Do a google search for quad bikes and you\’ll see up and down the country the dealers and trainers using locals saying quad bars are dangerous and that training and \’being carefiul\’ is the solution. Looks like a lot of misinformation as I understand it, the authorities aren\’t talking about ROPs. Yes?
Barry, dealers are saying this to customers based on the information they have but that is not ALL the information. There is an abundance of new evidence on quad bike safety and that contests some of the dominant thinking. We are in a process further deliberation on quad bike safety and during such periods there is, inevitably, confusion.
The NSW WorkCover alert is worth reading carefully because even though it opens the door for crush protection devices (\”mini\”-ROPS) the action required is:
Hi Kevin,
I actually think safety professionals need to persist with the quad bike issue for now. Personally, I think this alert is a little soft and also loses the point raised: That rollover protective structures (ROPS) save lives & should be fitted to all quad bikes on farms.
Design rules should prevent quad bikes being sold without ROPS or from being called All Terrain Vehicles. Workplaces should retrofit ROPS to their quad bikes. WorkSafe Victoria effectively made seat belts compulsory on forklifts by issuing improvement notices if they weren\’t fitted (regardless of likelihood of rollover, I understand).
Andrea
I have never seen a forklift driver wearing a seatbelt.