There is a pattern and while many of these incidents have been "near misses", there have also been injuries sustained — any rollover has the potential to result in serious injuries or a fatality.
A common cause of rollovers is that the quadbike being used is not weighted to tow the loaded weight of the calf feed trailer.
A thousand litres of milk weighs 1000kg plus the weight of the trailer.
Other common causes include a sudden change of direction by the driver, driving on uneven or slippery ground or steep grades, inexperienced drivers, driver inattention or distraction.
The safety alerts are real-life documented incidents and key lessons which have been provided by farmers, condensed into one-page handouts that managers can download and print off of the Farm without Harm website and use in safety discussions with their teams.
This alert can be used by farmers to discuss where to best feed calves so they can be accessed safely and the importance of reconsidering the access if necessary so you can drive in and out safely.
Baffles in tanks will also reduce sloshing, which can cause instability.
Where possible, consider towing the feeder trailer with a larger vehicle, such as a ute.
However, if you must use a quadbike, it is important to:
● Know the loaded weight of the trailer and never exceed the towing capacity set out by the quadbike manufacturer.
● Reduce the load if conditions change or are uneven, slippery or terrain is steep.
● Ensure drivers are adequately trained for the task and know when to stop if conditions are unsafe.
● Make sure drivers always have a reliable way to call for help.
● Consider installing a crush protection device (CPD) or other rollover safety system. — Allied Media
