Workplace exposure limits are changing: start with your workshop
From 1 December 2026,
Workplace Exposure Limits
(WEL) will replace the existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) in NSW and the ACT.
These limits cover airborne contaminants such as dust, fumes, gases, vapours and mists. The revised list changes some limits and introduces others.
For motor industry businesses, relevant activities may include welding, spray painting, parts cleaning, fuel handling and running engines inside a workshop.
Businesses already have a duty to control these risks. The practical task now is to check whether the revised limits affect your products, processes or existing controls.
Your action this week:
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List the jobs that produce dust, fumes, vapours or exhaust.
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Check the safety data sheets for the products involved.
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Compare the relevant contaminants against Safe Work Australia's
current WES and upcoming WEL lists
.
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Identify anything that needs further assessment.
Include contaminants generated by the work itself, such as welding fumes and engine emissions. These may not appear in your chemical register.
Start now so there is time to arrange advice or improve controls before December.