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WEL (Workplace Exposure Limit)

WEL (Workplace Exposure Limit) replaces WES from 1 December 2026 as the Safe Work Australia name for airborne-contaminant exposure ceilings on Australian sites.

By Chalkline. Last updated 28 May 2026. Verified 28 May 2026.

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WEL (Workplace Exposure Limit) is the new Safe Work Australia name for the maximum airborne concentration of a hazardous substance a worker may be exposed to. It replaces the prior term Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) from 1 December 2026 under a harmonised national transition agreed by WHS ministers (verified 2026-05-28, Safe Work Australia: New Workplace Exposure Limits to apply from 1 December 2026).

What changed

  • The name. “Standard” became “Limit” to make explicit the number is a ceiling, not a target, and to align internationally.
  • Some numerical limits. The Safe Work Australia WEL list (June 2025) sets out where values moved; most carry through.
  • TWA and STEL stay as the two exposure-time forms (8-hour shift TWA, 15-minute peak STEL).
  • ALARP applies to Non-Threshold Genotoxic Carcinogens (NTGC): must be managed “as low as reasonably practicable” via the hierarchy of controls, not just kept under the limit.

Transition

PCBUs comply with WES until 30 November 2026 and with WEL from 1 December 2026. After cutover, SWMS, exposure-monitoring records, and risk assessments reference WEL values.

For a builder

  • Audit WHS templates before 1 December 2026. SWMS and exposure-monitoring records referencing WES need updating.
  • Re-check substances you already manage. Respirable crystalline silica, welding fume, isocyanates: confirm the new numerical limit.
  • Apply ALARP for NTGCs: below the limit is no longer enough on its own.

Category: WHS / hazardous substances.

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-28. Verified: 2026-05-28. Quarterly review for currency.

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