Workplace Exposure Limits are changing from 1 December 2026 – is your workplace ready?

From 1 December 2026, Australia’s existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for airborne contaminants will transition to new Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL).

From WES to WEL. This isn’t simply a change in terminology.

Several airborne contaminants will have new or significantly lower exposure limits, meaning workplaces should review their current exposure risks, controls and previous air monitoring results.

Some key examples include:

  • Diesel particulate matter (DPM) – new limit of 0.01 mg/m³, measured as respirable elemental carbon
  • Flour (cereal) dust – new limit of 0.5 mg/m³
  • Grain dust (oats, wheat and barley) – reducing from 4 mg/m³ to 1.5 mg/m³
  • Manganese – changing from 1 mg/m³ to separate limits of 0.1 mg/m³ inhalable and 0.02 mg/m³ respirable
  • Cadmium and compounds – reducing from 0.01 mg/m³ to 0.001 mg/m³
  • Bitumen fumes – reducing from 5 mg/m³ to 0.5 mg/m³

These changes may affect workplaces across mining, mechanical workshops, welding and fabrication, transport, construction, grain handling, flour milling and baking, timber processing and manufacturing. You can learn more about the transition from WES to WEL here.

What should workplaces be doing now?

With the new limits approaching, businesses should consider the following questions:

  1. What airborne contaminants are workers potentially exposed to?
  2. Have any of those contaminants received a new or reduced WEL?
  3. Are existing engineering controls and work practices still adequate?
  4. When was workplace air monitoring last undertaken?
  5. Would previous monitoring results still be considered acceptable against the new limits?

Where there is uncertainty regarding worker exposure, occupational hygiene air monitoring can provide objective exposure data and help determine whether additional controls are required.

Work Health Professionals can assist workplaces with personal exposure and static air monitoring for dusts, welding fumes and metals, diesel particulate matter and other airborne contaminants.

WHP also provide onsite spirometry and audiometric testing around WA.

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