Safety app launched for farmers affected by gas projects

A workplace health and safety and environment expert has launched a new framework designed to protect farmers.

Through her doctoral research, Dr Shay Dougall has developed a WHS interface that aims to assist farmers in better managing their human rights and engagement with unconventional gas companies. The app enables farmers to simply take a photo in order to receive expert advice about WHS impacts of UG projects on their land.

“Understanding the significance of a farmer’s right to a safe and healthy workplace is imperative. It is a stance that has never been taken into consideration before by governments or gas companies when dealing with farmers and I believe it will deliver unparalleled levels of opportunity for farmers to voice and manage their rights, needs and concerns,” Dougall said.

“Never before has a farmer’s livelihood been considered from a workplace health and safety point of view in relation to unconventional gas until now. A farm is a living workplace and it must be respected and treated as such, with all the protections that any place of work would enjoy regardless of the industry or location.”

Dougall has conducted her research and acted as an advocate within her local Western Downs community and beyond in Queensland. Now she would like the strategy and research outcomes to be carried to farmers throughout Australia in order to increase awareness and embed fair and best WHS practices, rights and considerations for the farming occupational group when energy projects encroach onto farms.

“The toolkit is a pro-farm perspective that requires proper consideration of the host farmer role and particularly farmers’ WHS rights when co-locating energy projects in a host farmer’s workplace,” she said.

“Workplace laws involve human rights and it is important that farmers across the country now understand that there are legal obligations and a framework of support for the protection of their farming workplaces, families and livelihoods.”

Currently consulting with host farmers and furthering her doctoral research, Dougall hopes to assist as many farmers and their advocates as possible in applying the toolkit.

“I also hope to continue my research in this newly revealed interface and have the toolkit used to make these essential changes to UG governance arrangements and promote dialogue and progress,” she said.

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