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. Kevin Jones Footnote: Quad bike safety will be given a rest for a little while unless there is a significant issue. KJ
The smoke from the mine: It has been a frighteningly bad month in the mining industry internationally. OHS meetings I attended during this period have been hushed as a result of the New Zealand tragedies. Discussions about OHS have become more pertinent and more accurate – for the time being. But this, like stunning but … Continue reading “Of stunning, short-lived cactus flowers and quad bikes”
While the New Zealand government is investigating agricultural safety issues, researchers from the University of Otago have looked at the ergonomic issues associated with the loss of control (LOC) of quad bikes by drivers. According to a University of Otago media release, researchers Dr Stephan Milosavljevic and Dr Allan Carman published a paper in the current … Continue reading “Ergonomics of quad bikes – new research”
On 22 March 2010, Workplace Health & Safety Queensland released new guidance on the use 0f quad bikes. There is no radical solution to quad bike deaths but there are some variations to existing advice which should be noted. The most obvious is that “quad bike” is used through instead of ATV (all-terrain vehicle). This may … Continue reading “New OHS advice on quad bikes”
On 22 January 2010 Comcare issued a safety alert concerning the use of quad bikes (available on the Comcare website from 25 January 2010): “Employers who own and operate quad bikes should be aware of the hazards and potential safety risks. Following some recent accidents while operating quad bikes, a draft Code of Practice is currently being developed … Continue reading “Australia’s Comcare issues safety alert on quad bikes”
On 30 November 2009, the CEO of The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Andrew McKellar, responded to some of the issues raised in recent SafetyAtWorkBlog articles concerning the safety of quad bikes. McKellar emphasised that a balanced approach to ATV safety discussions is required. He said: “In terms of a statistical outcome, the results show that, on balance, [ROPS] … Continue reading “Quad Bikes – industry response”
The Hierarchy of Controls has some questionable OHS applications to psychosocial hazards but it applies very well to “traditional” hazards, those involving plant. The Hierarchy also emphasizes that the first step in any hazard control is to consider whether the hazard can be eliminated. But what happens when the designers of equipment and plant know that a design can be made … Continue reading “ROPS and Quad Bikes – the failure of ATV manufacturers and OHS regulators”