Education Department orders schools to stop using bicycles, tricycles without chain guards after children hurt

The Education Department has ordered WA public schools to stop using bikes or tricycles without chain guards after the tip of a child’s toe was severed in an accident. The order followed an improvement notice from the State’s work safety regulator after two primary school-aged children were hurt while riding bikes or tricycles in the space of 18 months. It is understood one child had the tip of their toe taken off, while the other received a gash on their toe. Both children, who were aged about six and eight, had to be taken to an emergency department. WorkSafe issued its recommendation after the second child was hurt on March 12. The first critical incident took place in October, 2023. The Education Department sent out a safety alert on Friday ordering schools to “please remove any bicycle without chain guarding from education program use, effective immediately”. The alert said the directive to ensure chains and sprockets were guarded would apply to “all pushbikes used for the provision of education at all public schools” — even though the original WorkSafe notice appeared to have been only for bikes used by children with special needs. A WorkSafe spokesperson confirmed that after a report of an injury to a child, an inspector issued an improvement notice to the department on March 21 in relation to the safety of bicycles and tricycles used by children with special needs. “The notice was written in a way that allows the duty holder to determine how they will comply,” the spokesperson said. “WorkSafe has not issued any notices making chain guards on bikes mandatory, although the improvement notice includes a non-mandatory recommendation for ‘safety measures such as chain guards’. “One school was also issued a prohibition notice which prohibits using tricycles or bicycles without wearing shoes or having appropriate guards in place.” The department can still seek a review of the improvement notice. WA peak bike riding body WestCycle opposed the order, noting that bicycle chain guards were not mandated anywhere in Australia and only acted as an unnecessary impediment to more kids riding bikes. “Mandatory chain guards will do little to improve bike safety and a lot to damage physical activity and bike-based education across our State’s schools,” WestCycle chief executive Wayne Bradshaw said. “We’ve already heard of schools saying they will have to shut down bike-riding programs because they don’t have the funds for these upgrades. We therefore hope this order can be revoked. “Better bike education is what is required, such as wearing enclosed shoes, making sure bikes are the right size and well-maintained, and kids know how to ride them on streets and paths.” The Education Department was contacted for comment.