Investigate a quad bike tip-over and audit site biosecurity

What is going on

On 6 September a farm hand tipped a quad bike on its side on the wet bank of an irrigation channel while checking ewes. He stepped clear and was not hurt, but the same bank has been used for stock checks for years and the bike was carrying a drench pack on the rear rack. Quad bike use on banks has been suspended pending your investigation. Separately, the Farm and Site Biosecurity Policy is due for annual review: new rams have arrived from interstate and volunteers are coming onto the conservation site. The Business and Compliance Manager wants an investigation report and a biosecurity gap list, both for the General Manager at the monthly safety and environment review.

Your brief

Investigate the quad bike incident to root cause with corrective actions and owners, update the register, and audit entry point and quarantine controls at two sites against the biosecurity policy, producing a prioritised gap list with recommendations.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the incident WHS-26-054 in the WHS Incident and Hazard Register, the Work Health and Safety Policy and the Tractor, Quad Bike and Machinery Operation Procedure.
• Prepare interview questions and conduct or script interviews with the rider and the Farm Manager, then build a timeline of the incident including the load carried, the route and the conditions.
• Analyse which controls in the procedure were absent, not followed or inadequate, and identify root causes and contributing factors using a simple structured method.
• Write an investigation report with corrective actions ordered by the hierarchy of control, each with an owner and due date, and update the register entry accordingly.
• Plan a toolbox talk on quad bike and side by side vehicle selection for stock checks using the Toolbox Talk Record Template.
• Audit the home farm entry point, visitor register, wash-down and ram quarantine paddock against the Farm and Site Biosecurity Policy, recording each control as met, partly met or not met with evidence.
• Audit the conservation field base and the Ryans Creek site controls for volunteers, vehicles, tools and seed handling in the same way.
• Write a prioritised gap list with recommendations, resources and timeframes, and a two-paragraph summary of both pieces of work for the safety and environment review.

What someone in this role would produce

• Investigation report with timeline and root causes
• Updated WHS Incident and Hazard Register entry
• Toolbox talk plan
• Biosecurity audit findings for two sites
• Prioritised gap list and review summary