LOWOOD dairy producers Errol and Julie Gerber, Gerber Farms, are closely tracking the still-unfolding quad-bike safety debate not only from a rider’s perpective but also as employers with duty of care responsibilities.
It’s a top-of-mind issue because overseeing the noted 800-strong Wivenhoe Holstein herd requires some eight full-time staff and just as many casuals with the majority using quad-bikes from time-to-time.
A total of five quad-bikes are regularly deployed to address a range of tasks on a daily basis, prompting the Gerbers to say that quad-bike training, which also has an on-going monitoring component, is pivotal in offering staff a safe working environment.
However, the point is made that most of their quad-bike operations are conducted at walking pace.
“In these circumstances, wearing a full helmet won’t be a very good environment to work in,” Errol Gerber said.
“To my knowledge those (helmets) that are available aren’t ventilated and the one New Zealand one I’ve looked at is not registered for use in Australia,” he added.
Should helmets be required for rural Queensland quad-bike riders, the Gerbers say care will have to be taken to avoid heat-stroke issues.
“While hemets are conducive to head protection they must also give enough ventilation at low speeds,” Errol Gerber said.
The suggestion is that any review of quad-bike safety in Queensland must come up with practical solutions for day-to-day farm use.
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