Last week, Honda quad bike dealers were supplied with the safety code provided by the Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries. This code outlines research that shows some roll over protection (ROPS) devices may increase the risk of injury. A major ROPS identified in recent reports is the QuadBar, a device that may be “set to … Continue reading “Industry action confuses quad bike sellers”
A major Australian rural newspaper, The Weekly Times, has devoted its front page to an article on rollover protective devices on quad bikes. It has taken as the base new information released by the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety (ACAHS) through a media release. The new policy paper and the supporting Practical Management Guide … Continue reading “New quad bike research and practical safety guidance”
Any new OHS guidelines from regulators important to read and consider when implementing safety interventions. New Zealand’s Department of Labour (DoL) has released new guidelines for the use of quad bikes in workplaces, predominantly, farms. Quad bike manufacturers are strong advocates of “active riding” techniques as an important safety practice. The new guidelines support … Continue reading “NZ releases new guidelines on quad bike safety”
In early 2009, Australian engineer, Shane Richardson, completed his thesis into the “Performance Criteria For Effective Structural Rollover Protective Systems For Light Passenger Vehicles”. Part of his thesis included an evaluation of the New Zealand Department of Labour’s ROPS guidelines for ATVs or quad bikes. Richardson points out that the guidelines have strong similarities to … Continue reading “Independent research into quad bike ROPS safety”
An opinion piece was published in the New Zealand Herald on 12 January 2011 concerning quad bikes. There are several points raised by Donald Aubrey, vice-president of Federated Farmers and chairman of the Agricultural Health and Safety Council that can be disputed. “In the hands of the untrained or the over-confident they can be deadly. And … Continue reading “NZ Farmers rep enters quad bike safety debate”
One of New Zealand’s coroners, Ian Smith, has set a safety challenge to the OHS regulatory and quad bike distributors. In the coronial findings (not available online) into the 2008 death of 21-year-old beekeeper, Jody Santos, Coroner Smith has recommended to the Ministers for Transport and Labour: “The Court endorses the new educational and enforcement programme being proposed by … Continue reading “NZ Coroner presses for changes in quad bike safety”
SafetyAtWorkBlog has been following the discussions about safety of all-terrain vehicles and quad bikes for some time. This is because the use of these vehicles encapsulate so many of the issues that workplace safety needs to deal with: Safe design Personal protective equipment Hierarchy of controls The line between private activity and work activity Personal responsibility The “nanny … Continue reading “Quad bike safety issues continue with no end in sight”