SafeWork NSW has launched a new campaign, warning the owners of quad bikes to ‘keep kids off quad bikes’.
Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson said the campaign would remind farmers that quad bikes were the biggest killers on NSW farms, causing 132 deaths in Australia since 2011 and that one in seven child deaths on farms involved the use of adult sized quads.
“Quad bikes weigh 400 kilograms and are extremely dangerous,” Mr Anderson said.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is to take the proper precautions when operating these powerful machines,” he said.
Mr Anderson said the campaign featured Josh Maxwell, whose daughter was tragically killed in a quad bike accident in 2017 while in the care of family friends.
“No parent should ever have to go through what the Maxwell family went through and there are just too many incidents involving kids in NSW,” he said.
“I can’t see any circumstances where it would be appropriate to take the risk of giving a child the keys to a quad bike.”
Mr Anderson said farmers could still access funds to assist in making their operations safer through the Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program.
Safework’s 6-page program guide on the campaign can be accessed at this PS News link.
