How and where all quad bikes are used up for review by Government

May 9, 2018

The Government is looking at the use of machinery on farms – one of NZ’s most dangerous workplaces

Landcorp has removed quad bikes from its dairy farm operations and now how and where all quad bikes are used is up for review.

The government is looking at regulations on the use of machinery on Kiwi farms which rank as one of our most dangerous workplaces.

Mangatoa farm manager Peter Eagles says a quad bike accident means he will never use one again.

"Personally myself I've had an accident and broke my neck a few years ago ACC bought me a cyber side and since then I would never go back to a quad it just jars your whole body and they're not safe at all," he says.

Three years ago Landcorp removed all quad bikes from the government's dairy farms and left just a limited number on its other properties.

The move has had a dramatic impact, with the number of injuries has halved from 23 to nine last year.

The government is undecided on whether it will take a similar approach.

"What we are doing is forming regulations that will deal with machinery on farms. I'm waiting advice on that but we do need to make sure those regulations are appropriate," Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says.

Utility vehicles with full body crush and roll protection, airbags, seat belts and ABS brakes are touted as being the answer to the quad bike conundrum, but not everyone is convinced.

"They can be potentially just as dangerous you are sitting on one side of that vehicle so it's not balanced as well as if you're sitting in the middle of a vehicle," Federated Farmers President Katie Milne says.

A strategy for dealing with health and safety in workplaces is now up for public consultation.

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