The HSE's latest figures reveal that agriculture has a workplace injury rate significantly higher than other sectors. But taking simple actions can make a substantial change in preventing devastating accidents from happening.
Training
Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 anyone using a quad bike for work purposes needs to complete appropriate training.
This also covers use of any agricultural machinery required to complete a task where formal licencing is not applicable, i.e., telehandlers, tractors, other ATVs etc.
LANTRA provides a wide variety of accredited training providers across the country.
Training courses are normally on-site, and take on average 1-2 days.
Most colleges that offer an agricultural based course will also offer training courses as well. These are also on-site and take on average 1-2 days.
Find out more about LANTRA at: LANTRA Awards | lantra.co.uk
The European ATV Safety Institute (quadsafety.org) offers free or discounted training to anyone purchasing a new or used ATV from an authorised UK dealer. This is a great opportunity to attend an HSE recognised training course.
As part of its commitment to improving user education, the ATVEA (All Terrain Vehicle Industry European Association) has an online course on ATV safety fundamentals.
Access the course for free at: ATVEA | eTraining for a safe and responsible riding experience.
Always wear a helmet
Incidents with transport and machinery are consistently the highest cause of fatal injury within agriculture.
By wearing a helmet when using quad bikes and ATVs you are protecting the most vulnerable part of your body should an incident occur.
We cannot predict when incidents will occur, so it is important to put safety first when using Quad Bikes and ATVs.
For more on the safe use of ATVs in agriculture, download: Safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry | HSE information sheet.
To help NFU members stay safe, we have partnered with Spada to bring you a 25% discount on helmets across the Spada range. You can also save money with Can-Am.
