Hi everyone,
We wanted to share the attached update from Safe Work Australia on the upcoming transition from Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) to Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL), which will come into effect from 1 December 2026. The document outlines a number of important changes, including new airborne contaminants being added, revised exposure limits for existing chemicals, and the removal of exposure limits for certain non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens where no safe exposure level exists.
Given the potential implications for chemical safety, SDS authoring, and chemical hazard risk assessment, the committee thought it would be useful to circulate this, so that anyone with responsibilities or an interest in these areas is aware of what's coming. The changes have certainly provoked some interesting discussions at our committee meetings, and we are happy to share our perspectives. If you have any questions, observations, or would like to discuss how these changes may apply in practice, feel free to reach out or share your thoughts here, happy to facilitate a discussion.
Cheers
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Scott Buckingham
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