A Young Worker, a Quad Bike and a Steep Paddock
You are leading a small team on a 400-hectare grazing property. A 17-year-old casual worker has been asked to move 60 head of cattle from a steep, rocky paddock to the yards, a 25-minute ride on a quad bike. The bike is a 450 cc model, the worker has ridden it twice, and the property's rule is that riders must wear a helmet. The worker arrives without a helmet because 'it's too hot' and says they have ridden bikes at home. The cattle need to be in the yards before the afternoon truck arrives at 3 pm.
1. What do you do about the helmet and the task, and why?
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The helmet is non-negotiable. It is a property rule and a control for the most serious risk on a quad bike - head injury in a rollover or fall. The heat is a comfort issue; a head injury is a life-changing one. The worker does not ride without it. If there is no helmet that fits, the task waits or someone else does it.
Then assess the task itself. The worker has ridden twice and the paddock is steep and rocky. That combination - low experience, difficult terrain, a large bike and a time pressure - is exactly where quad bike incidents happen. Options:
- Pair them with an experienced rider on the easier sections and keep them off the steepest ground.
- Give them a safer mount (a smaller bike or a side-by-side) if available.
- Reassign the job to an experienced rider and give the young worker a ground task.
Do not use the 3 pm truck as a reason to cut corners. Call the truck company early if the mob will be late; a delayed truck is a cost, a rollover is a tragedy.
Judgement point: the exam is testing whether you can separate a comfort complaint from a safety control, and whether you match the task to the person's competence rather than to their confidence.
2. The young worker says 'everyone else rides without one'. How do you handle the conversation and the supervision?
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Conversation: be clear and calm, not preachy. Explain that the rule applies to everyone, that you are responsible for their safety, and that a helmet is the one thing that decides whether a fall is a bruise or a funeral. Acknowledge their experience honestly - riding at home is real, but it is not the same as this terrain and this bike. Ask them to tell you if they feel unsure; that is a strength, not a weakness.
Supervision:
- Check the helmet fits and is worn correctly before they start.
- Keep them on the easier ground and within sight or radio contact.
- Set a check-in point and time, and confirm they know what to do if the bike stalls or the mob splits.
- Review the job afterwards: what went well, what was harder than expected.
Record: note the induction, the helmet check, the task allocation and any concerns raised, so the supervision is documented.
Judgement point: 'everyone else does it' is a social argument, not a risk assessment. The right answer holds the rule, explains the reason, and adjusts the task to the worker's real competence.