Workplace exposure limits take over from the old workplace exposure standards in a matter of weeks. To get ready, Safe Work Australia published revised versions of 15 model Codes of Practice on 12 November 2026. Each code now uses the new terminology and links to newly published guidance on air monitoring.
What changes for workplace exposure limits on 1 December
From 1 December 2026, businesses (known in law as PCBUs, or persons conducting a business or undertaking) must make sure that no one at their workplace breathes in an airborne contaminant at levels above those in the WEL list. Until then, the existing WES list remains the benchmark. For most workplaces, nothing changes just yet, but there isn’t long to prepare.
Which codes have been updated
The 15 revised codes cover a wide range of industries and hazards:
- Abrasive blasting
- Confined spaces
- Demolition work
- Excavation work
- Healthcare and social assistance industry
- How to manage and control asbestos in the workplace
- How to safely remove asbestos
- How to manage work health and safety risks
- Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals
- Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work
- Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
- Managing risks of respirable crystalline silica in the workplace
- Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals
- Spray painting and powder coating
- Welding processes
What it means in practice
Each revision replaces references to WES with the new workplace exposure limits wording and points readers to the relevant air monitoring guidance. If your workplace has airborne contaminants, check that your safety documents, risk assessments and monitoring plans use the WES figures until 30 November, then move to the WEL figures from 1 December.
Model codes only take effect once each state or territory adopts them, and the WEL list has to be written into each jurisdiction’s own WHS laws. So check with your local WHS regulator to confirm what applies where you operate.
Also read: Mandatory AI Safety Rules: 6 Crucial Obligations Frontier AI Firms Must Meet to Operate in Australia
General information only, not legal advice. Check the official source before acting.
Source: Safe Work Australia. Licence: CC BY 4.0.