Improving quad bike safety in the workplace

Response to the Safe Work Australia Discussion Paper – June 2026

Quad bikes are a well-known and persistent source of workplace death and serious injury. Safe Work Australia’s discussion paper records that, since 2011, 245 workers have died in quad bike incidents, with 107 fatalities occurring between 2020 and 2026. It also records that 20 quad bike-related fatalities occurred in 2024, the highest number since the ACCC Quad Bike Safety Standard was fully implemented in 2021.

The ACTU supports Safe Work Australia consulting on regulatory and non-regulatory options to improve quad bike safety in the workplace. The continued occurrence of fatalities and serious injuries demonstrates that the existing framework, while important, has not been sufficient to ensure consistent, practical and enforceable controls across workplaces where quad bikes are used.

The current model WHS laws already require PCBUs to manage risks associated with plant, including quad bikes, so far as is reasonably practicable. The model WHS Regulations also contain general requirements for powered mobile plant, including risks arising from overturning, ejection, collision and mechanical failure. However, the absence of clear quad bike-specific requirements in the model Regulations creates inconsistency and leaves too much dependent on local practice, industry culture and the quality of individual risk assessments.

Quad bikes are used across a wide range of work settings, including agriculture, cattle work, ranger programs, tourism, local government, remote community services, infrastructure work, councils, recycling plants, lifesaving, horticulture, large venues and production work.

Recurring practical risks include workers being placed on quad bikes without adequate induction or training, use on rough terrain and in extreme heat, reluctance to wear helmets, isolated work over large distances, delayed emergency response, lack of traffic management or defined routes, poor maintenance, unsafe loading and pressure on insecure or temporary workers to work quickly. In remote and regional settings, these risks may be heightened where workers operate alone or across long distances, and where emergency response times are delayed.

The ACTU’s position is that known life-threatening hazards require clear, enforceable controls. Education and guidance have a role, but they cannot be the primary response where deaths and serious injuries continue to occur. Regulatory controls should be strengthened and supported by data collection, targeted communication and practical implementation guidance.

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