{"id":11291,"date":"2026-10-02T16:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/?page_id=11291"},"modified":"2026-10-02T16:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:14:14","slug":"workplace-exposure-limits-australia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/workplace-exposure-limits-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) 2026 Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Australian WHS update<\/span><\/p>\n

Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) 2026: What Changes in Australia on 1 December<\/h1>\nOn 1 December 2026, Australia’s Workplace Exposure Standards (WES)<\/a> become Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL). Limits for several common solvents and metals fall sharply, diesel particulate matter gets a limit for the first time, and respirable crystalline silica stays where it is for now. Here is what changes, what it means for your site, and where AYO WX powered respirators fit.<\/pee>\n
See the key changes<\/a>AYO WX PAPR Solutions<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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1<\/div>\n
December 2026<\/div>\n
WEL take effect.Current WES apply until 30 November 2026.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\u221260%<\/div>\nStyrene and toluene<\/pee>Both fall from 50 ppm to 20 ppm (8-hour TWA). n-Butyl acetate, acetone and isopropyl alcohol also drop.<\/pee><\/div>\n
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0.01 mg\/m\u00b3<\/div>\nDiesel particulate matter<\/pee>A new limit, measured as respirable elemental carbon. Relevant to mining, tunnelling and enclosed workshops.<\/pee><\/div>\n
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Under review<\/div>\nRespirable crystalline silica<\/pee>Stays at 0.05 mg\/m\u00b3 on 1 December, but a proposed cut to 0.025 mg\/m\u00b3 is still under review. WorkSafe Victoria already recommends keeping exposure below 0.02 mg\/m\u00b3.<\/pee><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What is a workplace exposure limit?<\/h2>\nA workplace exposure limit is the airborne concentration of a substance in a worker’s breathing zone that must not be exceeded. Most are 8-hour time-weighted averages (TWA); some also have a 15-minute short-term limit (STEL) or a peak limit.<\/pee><\/div>\n
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WES vs WEL: what is different?<\/h2>\nThe WEL is not just a new name. Safe Work Australia reviewed the list against current health evidence: some values fall, a few rise, some substances are added or removed, and 33 non-threshold carcinogens<\/a> no longer carry a numerical value. Duties to eliminate or minimise exposure still apply to them.<\/pee><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Which workplace exposure limits change on 1 December 2026?<\/h2>\nSelected substances common on Australian industrial sites. Values are 8-hour TWA \/ STEL unless stated.<\/pee>\n
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Substance<\/th>\nWEL (from 1 Dec 2026)<\/th>\nAYO WX protection<\/th>\nWES (until 30 Nov 2026)<\/th>\nWhere you find it<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Lower limits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Styrene (monomer)<\/td>\n20 \/ 40 ppm\u221260%<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>A2-EU combined gas filter<\/td>\n50 \/ 100 ppm<\/td>\nFibreglass, composites, boat building<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Toluene<\/td>\n20 ppm\u221260%<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>A2-EU combined gas filter<\/td>\n50 \/ 150 ppm<\/td>\nSolvents, adhesives, printing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
n-Butyl acetate<\/td>\n50 \/ 100 ppm\u221267%<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>A2-EU combined gas filter<\/td>\n150 \/ 200 ppm<\/td>\nLacquers, thinners, cleaning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Acetone<\/td>\n250 \/ 500 ppm\u221250%<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>AX combined gas filter Coming soon<\/span><\/td>\n500 \/ 1000 ppm<\/td>\nCleaning, thinners, composites<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Isopropyl alcohol<\/td>\n200 \/ 400 ppm\u221250%<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>A2-EU combined gas filter<\/td>\n400 \/ 500 ppm<\/td>\nCleaning, printing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manganese (as Mn)<\/td>\n0.1 mg\/m\u00b3 inhalable0.02 mg\/m\u00b3 respirable<\/td>\nAYO WX HFM-W P-Boost<\/a>PAPR P3 Main Filter (TM3 \/ TH3)<\/td>\n1 mg\/m\u00b3<\/td>\nWelding fume, steel fabrication<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Portland cement<\/td>\n1 mg\/m\u00b3 (respirable dust)<\/td>\nAYO WX HFM P-Boost<\/a>PAPR P3 Main Filter (TM3 \/ TH3)<\/td>\n10 mg\/m\u00b3<\/td>\nConstruction, concrete, precast<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New limit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diesel particulate matter<\/td>\n0.01 mg\/m\u00b3 (as respirable elemental carbon)<\/td>\nAYO WX HFM Gas<\/a>A2-EU combined gas filter<\/a> (gas cartridge + HEPA filter)<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\nMining, tunnelling, enclosed workshops<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No change on 1 December \u00b7 still under review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Respirable crystalline silica<\/td>\n0.05 mg\/m\u00b3Proposed cut to 0.025 mg\/m\u00b3 sent back for further review<\/span><\/td>\nAYO WX HFM P-Boost<\/a>PAPR P3 Main Filter (TM3 \/ TH3)<\/td>\n0.05 mg\/m\u00b3<\/td>\nStone, concrete, tunnelling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\nCement: the WES covered total dust, the WEL covers the respirable fraction, so the two are not a like-for-like comparison. Source: Safe Work Australia, Changes to Workplace Exposure Limits<\/a> and the WEL list (November 2025)<\/a>. Check the full list for every substance on your site.<\/pee>Solvent vapours account for most of the limits falling on 1 December.<\/b> Particulate filters do not capture vapours, so these exposures need respiratory protection fitted with gas filters. See AYO WX Gas PAPR Systems<\/a> below.<\/pee>Welding fume<\/b> is already at 1 mg\/m\u00b3 (down from 5 mg\/m\u00b3). That change came before the WEL, so it is not a December deadline. Read more in Australia’s welding fume exposure standard<\/a>.<\/pee><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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What the new limits mean for your site<\/h2>\nA lower limit changes the answer for the same job. An exposure result that sat comfortably under 50 ppm of styrene can be well over 20 ppm. Review these three points before December.<\/pee>\n
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01<\/div>\n

Re-read your monitoring<\/h3>\nCompare existing air-monitoring results against the new values, not the old ones. Retest where a process has changed.<\/pee><\/div>\n
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02<\/div>\n

Apply the hierarchy of controls<\/h3>\nEliminate, substitute, isolate and ventilate first<\/a>. Respiratory protection covers the exposure that remains.<\/pee><\/div>\n
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03<\/div>\n

Choose RPE workers keep on<\/h3>\nLower limits leave less room for gaps. Protection only counts when it is worn correctly for the whole task.<\/pee><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Respiratory protection for lower limits<\/span><\/p>\n

Protect workers under lower limits with AYO WX PAPRs<\/h2>\nAYO WX PAPR respirators<\/a>, certified to the highest P3\/TM3\/TH3 Australian and EN Standards, can provide the best protection for all substances with WEL limits lowered.<\/pee>More importantly, AYO WX can reliably ensure high protection due to its innovative technology, which does not rely on a tight seal of the mask on the face, as demonstrated by its TH3 certification to the loose-fitting PAPR Standard EN 12941:2023.<\/pee>With no hose & belt, AYO WX PAPRs are worn similarly to negative-pressure masks but without the burden of breathing, making them the most practical and cost-effective PAPRs to date.<\/pee>\n
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Around-neck<\/b>No breathing hose, no belt-mounted blower<\/div>\n
Up to 220 L\/min<\/b>Breath-responsive airflow (P-Boost), made for heavy work<\/div>\n
8\u201316 hours<\/b>Typical battery runtime, user-replaceable battery<\/div>\n
Certified to<\/b>AS\/NZS 1716:2012 PAPR P3EN 12941:2023 TH3EN 12942:2023 TM3EN 12942:2023 TM3 A2View AYO WX certificates<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"AYO<\/p>\n
Loose-fitting<\/span><\/p>\n

AYO WX FFM-LF P-Boost Loose-Fitting Full-Face Mask PAPR System<\/h3>\n