WorkSafe WA has reported on a quad-bike related death of a 68-year-old man in the evening of 12 December 2010. Details are scarce as OHS inspectors have only been able to attend the scene this morning. The WorkSafe media release (soon to be available online) states: “WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death of a 68-year-old … Continue reading “West Australian farmer found dead under his quadbike”
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”
Guest contributor David Robertson discusses the differences between risk simulations and real risk data in relation to quad bike safety: “The motion picture blockbuster “Avatar”, for the time we are in the cinema, would have us believe that Sam Worthington can turn into a giant blue man on a faraway planet. James Cameron used computers to deliver us … Continue reading “Computer simulations of quad bike risks do not reflect reality”
As the Northern Hemisphere enters its Summer, the use of quad bikes will increase and the UK’s Health & Safety Executive has indicated it will be policing the vehicles’ use. In the press release on 3 June 2010, the HSE reveals that “Each year an average of two people die and more than 1,000 are injured in quad bike … Continue reading “Scottish quad bike safety”
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”
Considerable discussion has resulted in the quad-bike safety fraternity following the blog article about Comcare’s safety alert on 22 January 2010. Below is an official comment on the article. “Comcare is aware that a number of organisations in the Federal jurisdiction use quad bikes and are concerned some may be using them inappropriately without necessarily … Continue reading “Comcare comments on quad bike advisory”