A 72-year-old dairy farmer has died after a quad bike rollover at a property in Cudgewa, in north-east Victoria — the 14th confirmed workplace fatality in Victoria this year, and the fifth death in the state’s agriculture sector since January.
WorkSafe Victoria confirmed the incident occurred on Thursday 14 May, when the farmer was herding cattle on a quad bike and lost control of the vehicle, becoming trapped beneath it. Emergency services attended but the farmer died at the scene. WorkSafe investigators responded and will determine whether further enforcement action is required.
The death is the latest in a troubling pattern of quad bike fatalities on Victorian farms. Five of the state’s 14 confirmed workplace deaths in 2026 have occurred in agriculture — a sector that consistently records disproportionately high fatality rates relative to its share of the workforce. Quad bikes are a leading cause of death and serious injury on Australian farms, with rollovers and runovers responsible for the majority of fatalities.
WorkSafe Victoria has consistently urged farmers and agricultural employers to consider alternatives to quad bikes wherever practical. ‘If you cannot use a ute, you should consider using other vehicles such as a tractor, side-by-side or two-wheeled motorbike, which may be safer than quad bikes,’ WorkSafe has advised. ‘If a safer vehicle cannot be used to perform the task, only then should you use a quad bike, which should be fitted with an operator protective device.’
Operator protective devices — commonly known as OPDs or crush protection devices — are designed to create a survival space in the event of a rollover. They are not mandatory in Victoria, but WorkSafe strongly recommends their use on all quad bikes used in the workplace. Research has shown that OPDs significantly reduce the risk of fatal crush injuries in rollover incidents.
Agricultural employers, farm owners and self-employed farmers across Australia are reminded that they are PCBUs under WHS law and have a primary duty of care to identify and manage the risks of all plant and equipment used in their operations — including quad bikes. Risk assessments should consider terrain, tasks, operator experience, and the availability of safer alternatives.
