The Health and Safety Executive Inspector Stephen Britton said: "Quad bikes are an essential part of farm life, particularly on upland farms. During lambing when farmers and shepherds are constantly out in the fields keeping an eye on their flocks, the temptation can be there to just hop on to the quad bike without stopping to take the time to put on a safety helmet, but it is illegal not to wear a safety helmet when using a quad bike for work-based activity."
"We expect everyone on a farm to have had proper training in the safe handling of the bike, and most importantly to wear a safety helmet. And HSE has taken prosecutions of farm managers for failing to protect people with helmets. We hold regular farm based safety and health awareness days to advise farmers and their employees of the need to operate their farm and equipment in an effective and safe manner, and on these we ask how many people have come off their quadbike. We find that around 80% of people have come off the bike at some point, so it is a case of when you are going to come off rather than if."
The dangers of not wearing a safety helmet where highlighted during the recent Alnwick Safer Working Community week when a rescue situation of a lone worker who was not wearing a safety helmet and crashed a quad bike over a dangerous crag was staged, with the victim being rescued by a helicopter from RAF Boulmer. The difficulties of getting an ambulance crew to a site that was pre-selected highlights the need for caution, because if you do come off unless you arrange a return time you may not be missed for many hours, alone on a cold hillside.