VIRTUAL REALITY QUAD EXPERIENCE AIMED AT IMPROVING FARM SAFETY WILL BE AVAILABLE AT PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS – FRS TRAINING
10 quad related deaths on Irish farms over last decade
Special training programme on quad safety will be rolled out around the country
A virtual reality (VR) quad bike experience, aimed at helping improve farm safety, will be available for visitors to the National Ploughing Championship from FRS Training. The VR experience will take the user across various agricultural scenarios and terrains such as the farmyard, herding cattle, rough and inclined ground, showing how these vehicles should be handled.
Quad bikes have been growing in popularity as agricultural vehicles in recent times but their use has also led to a number of accidents occurring. 10 quad related deaths are reported* to have occurred on Irish farms over the last decade.
From 20th November 2023, Government regulations will make it mandatory for all quad operators to undergo training and to wear appropriate protective equipment, including a helmet. To help address these significant agricultural health and safety regulations, FRS Training will be rolling out a new quad bike training programme nationwide.
The FRS Training Quad Bike Courses will run over two days and will be QQI accredited. The training covers operations, loading as well as health & safety around quad use. Group courses can be arranged, and individual public courses can be booked at www.frstraining.com
Speaking about the VR quad experience and the new training programme, Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Network said, “The use of quads on Irish farms continues to grow. These vehicles are becoming an increasingly popular choice for farmers as they are a useful and multipurpose vehicle for transport, spraying, spreading and a range of other work on the farm. Yet with this growth in usage, there are rising safety concerns around how they are being operated.
“Unfortunately there have been far too many accidents related to quad bikes on Irish farms in recent years, with at least 10 deaths being linked to their use in the last decade. Part of the problem is that people haven’t been properly trained in how to use these extremely powerful and heavy vehicles, which can lead to high risk driving behaviour and unfortunately in some cases, even dangerous misuse.
“Our VR quad experience aims to give our visitors an immersive experience that will correct some of the misconceptions people have about driving quads, showing both their advantages and their perils. It will bring the VR user through several typical farm environments and scenarios, such as the farm yard, rough and inclined terrain, using the quad around livestock and more.
“Under new Government regulations, from the 20th November 2023 anyone operating quads on farms will also have to undergo training. We want to make Irish farms safer while also enabling those farmers who use quads to receive the training they need. Which is why we are rolling out our QQI accredited quad training programme nationwide.
“We truly hope that as more people grasp the key health and safety principles behind operating quad bikes, they will become more aware of the potential dangers. This will hopefully help reduce the number of quad related accidents on Irish farms, which is ultimately in the interest of everyone associated with Irish farming,” Mr. Donnery concluded.
The FRS VR Quad Bike experience is open to all free of charge on Row 11, Stand 204 at the National Ploughing Championships, Ratheniska, Co.Laois, between the 19th and 21st of September 2023.
For further information contact Jimmy Healy, Cogency – 087 6479104
*Figure from Health & Safety Authority (HSA)
