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Quad bike dangers highlighted in mock rescue

Oct 31 2007 By The Journal

A simulated rescue in a remote part of Northumberland

A RESCUE exercise to cut down on quad biking accidents on farms took place yesterday.

The dangers of lone working and the importance of proper training and wearing the correct safety equipment were highlighted in the rescue exercise involving HSE, Alnwick District Council, RAF Boulmer and the Forestry Commission.

It comes just two weeks after a 32-year-old man from Stockton died after his quad bike smashed into trees in County Durham and two months after a conservation worker died, also in Durham, when a shotgun went off as the quad bike he was riding overturned.

In the exercise, held in Northumberland, a lone farm worker who had ‘fallen off’ his quad bike was rescued by a helicopter scrambled from 202 Squadron at RAF Boulmer.

In the scenario, the forestry worker was alone in an isolated and inaccessible part of Northumberland near Rothbury, when he suffered an accident, made worse by him not wearing a helmet. When he fails to return to his farm and does not answer radio calls, RAF Boulmer is contacted and a helicopter is scrambled to search for and rescue him, bringing him back for medical attention.

David Snowball of the Health and Safety Executive said: “We wanted this ‘rescue’ to heighten awareness of safety at work. Working alone in isolated areas means that any accident potentially becomes much more serious because of the delay in getting treatment. “Employers need to identify the important risks and act sensibly. They can reduce the possibility of serious incidents and protect their employees by training them properly and making sure they have all the necessary safety equipment. Workers can help themselves by wearing the protective equipment provided by their employers and where it is not available, insisting that employers provide it.”

Squadron Leader Mark Vickery of 202 Squadron, RAF Boulmer, said: “We are always happy to help people who are in trouble. However, to scramble a helicopter uses a considerable amount of taxpayers’ money and it is frustrating to be called to incidents that could have been avoided by following the correct safety procedures.”