UNIONS NSW have slammed NSW Farmers Association (NSWFA) industrial committee chair Peter Darley after he spoke against making rollover protection bars mandatory on quad bikes.
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Mr Darley told NSWFA members at their annual conference earlier this month more research should be conducted on safety benefits before a decision was made.
Mr Darley is waiting on the University of New South Wales to finish its research, on behalf of WorkCover, into quad bikes in order to deliver a safety star rating .
“[It’s] reminiscent of those who fought the introduction of seatbelts in cars,” Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said.
Safe Work Australia said there had been 161 deaths caused by quad bike accidents between 2001 and 2012.
Just last weekend a five-year-old boy and a 26-year-old man died in separate quad bike accidents in Scone and Denman respectively.
“There is no question that the mandatory requirement for seatbelts in road vehicles has saved countless lives,” Mr Lennon said.
“Unions believe a similar move to mandate roll bars for quad bikes would similarly reduce fatalities, most of which occur in rural and regional communities.”
Mr Darley responded to say seatbelts were not made mandatory in cars without prior consultation and research.
“You don’t support something until you see the research,” he said.
“We most certainly will be guided by the decision from WorkCover.”
Mr Darley said there was resistance from manufacturers and some farmers on making roll bars mandatory.
He said if made mandatory it should apply to both work (farm) and recreational quad bikes.
“It should be one in all in, they can’t just target farmers,” Mr Darley said.
Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety director Dr Tony Lower said regulations already existed to ensure all work vehicles, including farm quad bikes, were fitted with safety equipment.
“There are regulations in Australia that there should be protection,” he said.
“Nine out of 10 rollover deaths occur on farms.”
Dr Lower said the type of safety protection could vary from vehicle to vehicle, but it was mandatory in all workplaces.
“I think new design criteria will be brought in,” he said.
“If they’re still going to be driven they should have mandatory rollover protection fitted. The regulations are already there.”
“It’s no different to anything else in a work context.”
nadine.morton@fairfaxmedia.com.au
