A young boy has died in a quad bike incident on an Australian farm last weekend. What the boy was doing at the time of the incident is unclear and whether the quad bike was a work vehicle or recreational is also unclear, but the current sensitivities of the issue of quad bike safety have raised media attention once more. In … Continue reading “Quad bike safety is showing a political shift”
Not only are quadbike manufacturers resisting the inevitable, they have gone on the attack with posters being distributed that criticise the installation of crush protection devices (CPD)s, safety devices increasingly being recommended by safety advocates, farm safety specialists and government departments in Australia. According The Weekly Times on 16 June 2011, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Polaris and Kawasaki and others are … Continue reading “Quad bike poster distracts from the evidence”
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 week on from Australia’s The Weekly Times using its front page to open a debate about roll over protection structures (ROPS), the debate has continued in the letters and op-ed pages of The Weekly Times. Dr Yossi Berger of the Australian Workers Union asks the valid question in his opinion piece – should all … Continue reading “People enter the quad bike ROPS debate”
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”
The quad bike safety issue is hotting up on a range of fronts in Australia with the trade unions taking an active interest, meetings between bike manufacturers and safety designers, and the SafetyAtWorkBlog email box filling up with background content and opinion. One of these emails reminded me of some court action that was taken … Continue reading “Quad bike safety sensitivities”
In January 2003, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) issued the following media statement outlining its initiatives to reduce the injuries associated with quad bikes on farms in Australia. SafetyAtWorkBlog is following up with the FCAI for further information on quad bike safety and any objections the FCAI has to roll-over protection structures. An earlier article … Continue reading “Further quad bike safety information”