Recall - Yamaha youth quad bikes 'Raptor 90'

Purpose

This safety alert provides information regarding possible asbestos in front and rear brake shoes and some spare parts imported which were sold to consumers for the Yamaha YFM90R (RAPTOR) children’s quad bike. 

Background

Yamaha Motor Australia Pty Ltd is conducting a recall campaign on certain YFM90R (RAPTOR) quad bike. The front and rear brake shoes in some of the models affected and parts that are sold as spare parts may contain asbestos.

The recall may be viewed on the ACCC Product Safety website.

See the table below for the affected models and frame numbers: 

Part identification

  Front shoe: BD3-F510L-00

  Front shoe: BD3-F510L-10

 Rear shoe: BD3-F530K-00

While asbestos has been a prohibited product in Australia since December 2003, in many countries it is still used in manufactured products. Certification provided to importers from overseas manufacturers that goods are asbestos-free have sometimes found to be wrong for the purposes of our regulations.

The use of all forms of asbestos has been banned in Australia since the end of 2003. This means that the import, manufacture, supply, sale and use or reuse of asbestos and asbestos-containing products is no longer permitted, except under very limited circumstances.

Local standards in some supplier countries may classify goods ‘asbestos free’ where they meet a certain low level of asbestos content. In Australia, a product found with any level of asbestos is prohibited for import or use.

Risk control

Available information indicates that these quad bikes do not pose a measurable health risk through normal use.

Consumers should not perform any maintenance, repairs or modifications on these quad bikes that may contact or disturb the bike parts that may contain asbestos.

Owners will be contacted about this recall by a letter from Yamaha to their Yamaha-registered address. Parts are expected to be available for repairs from the end of August 2017. From September 2017, owners of affected quad bikes should contact their nearest Yamaha dealer to make an appointment to have the front and rear brake shoes replaced with parts that do not contain asbestos. This repair is conducted free of charge. Further information is available by phoning 1300 593 600. You can locate your nearest Yamaha dealer by searching on Yamaha website.

If the asbestos materials are to be removed, it is important that the asbestos materials are removed by a person who is competent to do so safely.  Appendix E of Safe Work Australia's code of practice on how to manage and control asbestos in the workplace provides an example of a “working with asbestos friction materials” safe work method that can be used, including appropriate personal protective equipment, decontamination and disposal of the asbestos waste.

Action Required

The importer must ensure they do not import asbestos into Australia.

Importers should be aware of the varying definitions and standards applied in the country of origin and/or supply. Australian regulations apply at the border.

Where your quad bike is considered a risk of containing asbestos, the Australian Border Force will require assurances that the quad bike, and its component parts, does not contain asbestos. If adequate assurance is not provided, you will face delays and be responsible for costs incurred when the quad bike is held at the border for the purposes of sampling and testing. Importers should be familiar with the asbestos information on the Department of Home Affairs asbestos webpage.

This Alert has been developed by the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) Imported Materials with Asbestos Working Group, whose membership comprises representatives from: Australian Border Force, Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, Comcare, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, WorkSafe Australian Capital Territory, Department of Home Affairs, Northern Territory WorkSafe, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe Tasmania, Safe Work Australia, WorkSafe Victoria, Safe Work NSW, WorkSafe Western Australia and the Federal Department of Employment.