WA grains industry issues urgent plea to Premier to stop grain dust exposure limits, State refuses

The State Government has confirmed it will not extend the transition period for the controversial grain dust workplace exposure limits despite WA’s grain industry urging it to do so.

Industrial Relations Minister Simone McGurk announced delays to phosphine workplace exposure limits earlier this month, but grain dust was not included, meaning exposure limits will be significantly reduced from an eight-hour time weighted average of 4.0mg/m3 to 1.5mg/m3 from December 1.

In an October 22 letter from Grain Producers Australia to Ms McGurk, sighted by Countryman, the organisation pressed for clarification about the looming workplace exposure limits and flagged concerns on the scientific justification.

The letter was signed by GPA chair Matthew Madden, WAFarmers grains president Mark Fowler and WA Grains Group chair Alastair Falconer.

The organisation, in conjunction with the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, then reached out to Premier Roger Cook on Monday urging him to put a stop to the implementation.

A formal report from Safe Work Australia used 40-year old data from a single Dutch paper from 2011 that referenced two North American studies, to set the new limits.

The Dutch report defines grains as wheat, oats, barley, rye, sorghum, maize, rice, pulses and various oilseeds for the purpose of its research, while Safe Work Australia limited its definition to oats, wheat and barley.

The results of a GPA survey, released on October 13, found a significant number of farmers across Australia were concerned about their ability to measure and monitor grain dust levels, and did not know how to access more information about the changes.

Mr Madden said he was “really concerned” growers had to comply with standards based on 40-year-old data that was not consistent with the types of grain dust specified by the national regulator.

“GPA have become aware that this new grain dust threshold is likely to be extremely difficult for grain growers to comply with, but to now see the science being used to justify the change raises huge questions,” he said.

“It is quite confronting to see the impact this national evaluation process could have and may still have on our growers in an industry that is worth billions of dollars to the Australian economy.”

Mr Madden said he could not understand how the WELs were ever recommended by Safe Work Australia.

“GPA will continue to work with governments on behalf of grain growers, but Safe Work Australia, all other regulators and governments need to hold up their end of the relationship too,” he said.

“GPA have taken the approach of working with governments and regulators to help them understand the needs of growers and negotiate outcomes that balance workplace safety and practicalities, but how can we say we represent our members and stay silent about this information?”

A State Government spokeswoman said the minister had spoken to industry groups about grain dust exposure and believed the change could be managed through existing health and safety practices.

“Discussion and consultation around these changes has been occurring as far back as 2024,” she said.

“An extended transition period in this instance will not be granted.”

The spokeswoman said every employer in WA, including farmers and grain industry operators, had a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their workers while at work as far as reasonably practicable.

“The Department for Local Government, Industry Regulations and Safety relied on expert advice relating to WELs — in the case of grain dust, excessive exposure can cause respiratory diseases,” she said.

“WorkSafe has published guidance on its website to help industry prepare for and comply with the revised WELs, and provides regular updates to industry this way.”

In State Parliament on October 21, Ms McGurk said she had communicated to the WA grains industry that she would not be making any changes to grain dust WELs.

“When I spoke to industry representatives to alert them before making the public announcement about phosphine, I also talked to them about grain dust and said that I would not be making a change to the grain dust exposure limits, and to a person, they were comfortable with that communication,” she said.

Wickepin farmer and MLC Steve Martin urged Ms McGurk to make grain dust a priority.

“The WA grain harvest is already under way and the industry needs certainty about the workability of these regulations around dust levels,” he said.

“It is disappointing that this decision appears to be based on research conducted on the other side of the world from a West Australian wheat farm.”