Safe Work Australia publishes three airborne contaminants guides

To help workplaces manage exposure and prepare for the 1 December 2026 transition to the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants (WEL) list, Safe Work Australia has published three guides.

Providing practical and tailored information for employers, occupational hygienists and other technical specialists, as well as workers and businesses where exposure to airborne contaminants, including diesel engine emissions, may occur, these resources are:

• Guide for PCBUs: Air monitoring and the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants — explaining when air monitoring may be required, how to engage a competent person to undertake air monitoring, how to interpret and respond to monitoring results, and common questions about air monitoring and workplace exposure limits;
• Technical guide: Air monitoring and the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants — providing practical advice on assessing exposure to airborne contaminants, planning and conducting air monitoring, interpreting monitoring results, and reporting findings and providing advice to employers; and
• Managing the risks of exposure to diesel engine emissions in the workplace — explaining how to identify and manage exposure risks, undertake air and health monitoring, and prepare for compliance with the new workplace exposure limit of 0.01 mg/m³ for diesel particulate matter.

More information on the transition to the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants (WEL) list is available here.

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