Farming family fined $80,000 for not supplying helmets for quad bikes
Quad bikes are an essential tool on many Queensland farms. Whether used to muster cattle, inspect sugar cane crops, check irrigation, repair fences or move around large properties, they are a part of everyday farming. However, they also present significant safety risks.
A recent Queensland prosecution is a timely reminder that employers cannot rely on worker experience or common practice alone. They have a legal duty to protect workers from foreseeable risks, and failing to do so can result in substantial penalties.
On 19 May 2026, a family-run farming business was fined $80,000 in the Goondiwindi Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) by failing to comply with its primary health and safety duty.
The business had operated for around 50 years. On 2 April 2024, two experienced workers were using quad bikes to muster cattle without helmets. During the mustering operation, a cow charged one of the workers, causing the quad bike to overturn. The worker died two days later from polytrauma.
Importantly, the prosecution did not allege that the absence of a helmet caused the worker's death. Instead, the offence centred on the employer exposing workers to an unnecessary risk by failing to comply with its work health and safety obligations.
Just days earlier, Queensland introduced section 226A of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers operating quad bikes wear securely fitted and fastened helmets.
The employer admitted it had failed to provide helmets, require workers to wear them, instruct workers about the requirement, or implement a safe work procedure mandating helmet use. Although the company immediately addressed these issues following the incident, the Court found that supplying helmets was a simple and inexpensive safety measure that should have been in place.
While this case involved a cattle operation, the lessons apply equally to sugar cane growers and other farming businesses where quad bikes are routinely used to inspect crops, operate irrigation, transport equipment and carry out maintenance across large properties.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their workers. This includes:
providing safe systems of work,
appropriate training and supervision,
maintaining plant and equipment, and
supplying suitable personal protective equipment.
Importantly, providing helmets alone is not enough. Employers should also ensure workers are instructed to wear them, safe work procedures clearly require their use, and compliance is monitored. The fact that workers are experienced, or that an employer is unaware of recent legislative changes, will not excuse a failure to meet these obligations.
The case is a reminder that workplace health and safety laws are designed to prevent risks before someone is seriously injured or killed.
For Queensland farmers, regularly reviewing workplace safety procedures and keeping up to date with legislative changes is an important part of running a safe and compliant farming business.
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