Whangarei Coroner Brandt Shortland says a farmer's safety is compromised when a quad bike is used beyond its capability and outside the strict safety guidelines. He was reporting on findings into
five workplace quad bike deaths. As part of his concurrent inquests into the five deaths, Coroner Shortland invited submissions on quad bike issues from a series of experts and involved parties
On average five people are killed and 850 are injured on quad bikes on farms every year, says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
General manager health and safety operation, Ona de Rooy, says the Coroner endorses the ministry's quad bike harm reduction programme's key steps for safe use of the machines (see website below).
"In the New Year the ministry will be calling together all the parties involved with quad bikes – manufacturers, farming leaders, community leaders, trainers and the regulator – to work through how these recommendations could be implemented. The forum will also consider what other actions could be taken to reduce the deaths and injuries from inappropriate quad bike use.
"The Ministry fully agrees with his (the Coroner's) position that the rural sector and communities associated with farming should stand up and take leadership and ownership of health and safety issues including quad bikes without the threat of enforcement and prosecution from the regulator."
Federated Farmers is also welcoming recommendations contained in Coroner Shortland's findings.
"We express our heartfelt commiserations to the family and loved ones of those people subject to the Coroner's findings," says Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers Health & Safety spokesperson.
"The one thing we welcome in Coroner Brandt Shortland's findings is that it recognises the practical realities of using quad bikes in a farm setting. Indeed, many of the recommendations are current industry practice and that is a good thing."
She says they agree that farmers must ensure quad bike users are trained in their safe operation. Being a motorbike, quad bikes require active riding for them to be safely used over rural terrain.
"Federated Farmers stresses that users must ride age-appropriate bikes whether that is a quad or a farm bike. We are also supportive of restricting the minimum age of solo riders on full size quad bikes to 16."
For information about MBIE's quad bike harm reduction programme visit: http://www.business.govt.nz/healthandsafetygroup/information-guidance/national-programmes/quad-bike-safety
