ATV / Quad Bike Operations SWMS

ATV and quad bike operations across Australian agricultural enterprises remain one of the highest-fatality activities in the rural workforce, with rollover, ejection and collision incidents driving SafeWork Australia's sustained regulatory focus. This SWMS addresses the full operational envelope: mandatory Operator Protection Device (OPD) fitment under the ACCC Quad Bike Safety Standard (in force from October 2021), terrain assessment, rider competency verification, helmet and PPE compliance, load and towing limits, and passenger prohibitions. Quad bike use on a farm or station constitutes powered mobile plant operation under WHS Regulation 2025 r214, which obliges the PCBU to manage risks of overturning, ejection and collision with persons or objects. Because rollover is reasonably foreseeable on uneven terrain and the vehicle is a primary cause of worker fatalities in the agriculture sector, a documented SWMS with consultation under s47-49 is mandatory before any worker is authorised to operate the machine.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Replace quad bike with side-by-side utility vehicle (SSV) fitted with ROPS, seatbelts and doors for tasks involving steep terrain, heavy loads or passenger carriage wherever operationally feasible.
2. 2Elimination — Prohibit all quad bike use on slopes exceeding manufacturer's stated lateral angle and on terrain where ground hazards cannot be visually verified before traverse.
3. 3Substitution — Deploy two-wheel motorbikes for solo mustering on flat terrain where rider weight transfer offers superior stability, reserving quads only for tasks matching their design envelope.
4. 4Substitution — Replace rear rack heavy loads with trailed implements rated to the towing vehicle to relocate mass behind the rear axle line.
5. 5Engineering — Fit a compliant Operator Protection Device (Quadbar, ATV Lifeguard or equivalent tested to UNSW TARS protocol) to every quad bike used on the enterprise.
6. 6Engineering — Install speed limiters, helmet-interlock ignition switches where available, and ensure tyres, brakes and steering are serviced per manufacturer schedule with records retained.
7. 7Administrative — Verify rider competency through accredited AHCMOM213 or RIIVEH305E training, maintain a competency register, and prohibit operation by persons under 16 years of age.
8. 8Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start inspection, terrain risk assessment and journey management plan with check-in protocol for solo riders in remote paddocks.
9. 9Administrative — Enforce a written no-passenger, no-children, no-alcohol policy with signed worker acknowledgement and supervisor monitoring during shifts.
10. 10PPE — Mandate AS/NZS 1698 compliant motorcycle helmet, eye protection, enclosed boots, long sleeves and gloves; provide hydration and high-visibility clothing for low-light mustering.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a 12,000-hectare beef cattle property, the leading hand runs a pre-start brief at the machinery shed before a three-rider muster across undulating river-flat country. The ATV SWMS is opened on a weatherproof tablet and walked through line by line. The team identifies that one paddock contains a recently graded contour bank exceeding the manufacturer's 15-degree lateral slope limit — the SWMS elimination control triggers a route change, with that section to be worked on horseback instead. Each rider confirms their AHCMOM213 competency card is current, inspects the Quadbar OPD fitment, helmet certification sticker, brake function and tyre pressures, then signs on against the document. A junior worker aged 17 asks to carry a fencing apprentice as passenger; the supervisor points to the no-passenger control and reallocates the apprentice to the side-by-side. Mid-morning the wind picks up and grass height obscures ground hazards in one creek line; the supervisor radios a stop-work, the crew reconvenes under the SWMS dynamic risk review clause, and speed limits are dropped to walking pace with spotters deployed. The amended control is noted on the tablet, re-signed, and the muster completes without incident. The signed SWMS, inspection record and amendment log are filed in the station compliance folder for the regulator-mandated retention period.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series