The Federal Government has announced a suite of measures designed to improve quad bike safety at a recent forum of farmers, unions and industry representatives on the safety of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).

 

“Today we have heard from key work health and safety researchers, manufacturers, agricultural industry workers and farmers. I would like to thank everybody that contributed to the forum and made submissions to the public discussion,” Minister for Workplace Relations Bill Shorten said.

 

The Minister said he has asked Safe Work Australia to report on the key findings of the quad bike issues paper and today’s forum, and that he would direct Comcare, the Commonwealth workplace safety regulator, to immediately implement the following:

  • Comcare will work with scheme employers to review their use of quad bikes and consider possible substitution with less hazardous equipment. 
  • Comcare will initiate a program to retro-fit crush protection devices for bikes used by federal employers, along with rider training.
  • Comcare will also work with other regulators to sponsor the development of a technical standard to underpin the design, manufacture, testing and installation of crush protection devices for quad bikes during manufacture or for after-market applications.

 

“The immediate steps I am announcing are the first pieces of the jigsaw in what is a complex regulatory process.  We have heard competing views about the benefits or dangers of engineering and design changes to quad bikes, and their possible impact on the death and injury rate” Mr Shorten said.

 

To review the QuadWatch discussion paper and have your say on how quad bike safety can be improved visit:
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/QuadWatch/comment