Mandatory safety training and helmet-use for quad bike riders comes into force today

Quad bikes are most commonly used on farms, in forestry, and on construction and quarrying projects.

Farmers and other workers who used quad bikes and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) will be required to wear a helmet when using them, and to undergo specialised training on how to operate them, under new legislation which comes into force from Monday.

The new Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulation 2021 is the first piece of legislation of its kind in Europe.

According to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), there are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 quad bikes in operation in the country. They are most commonly used on farms, in forestry, and on construction and quarrying projects.

Since 2010, there have been 12 deaths involving the vehicles on Irish farms, and dozens of injuries.

HSA senior inspector for farm safety Pat Griffin said the proportion of fatalities to vehicles makes quad bikes “the most dangerous machine in this country to operate".

“The problem really is that they're very simple to operate, but they're also very simple to overturn and from the training. I think an awful lot of these injuries and fatalities will actually go out of our figures.” 

As regards the use of helmets, Mr Griffin said a recent survey conducted by St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin found that 50% of people who presented with an injury as a result of a quad bike accident had not been wearing a helmet.

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He said the true proportion of quad bike users who do not wear helmets may be “even higher than that". 

"The wearing of helmets is a real, real problem and it is probably the most important part of the solution,” he said.

Most of the fatalities and serious injuries, and life-changing injuries are because of a head injury.”

Though new legislation only covers people who use the vehicles for work and not for leisure, Mr Griffin said he would encourage anyone using them to avail of the new HSA training — which takes just one day for experienced users and two days for new users — and to wear a helmet at all times.

“It is just not worth taking the chance of a head injury,” he told RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland.

He added the HSA would be enforcing the new law.

“We will be doing inspections in all workplaces and where we find the quad bike, we will check that there is professional training done by our operators and that wearing of helmets is there.” 

Mr Griffin also said the HSA had a memorandum of understanding with An Garda Síochána, who are aware of the new regulations.

“We would hope that if a guard sees an operator on a public road, travelling on quad, that they would advise them that it's a legal requirement to wear a helmet.”