Industries Most Affected by Australia’s 2026 Workplace Exposure Limits

The 2026 Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) reforms reach across many workplaces; they’re reshaping occupational safety and health expectations across Australian industry.
From 1 December 2026, Australia’s new Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) will replace the existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) issued by Safe Work Australia.
This update follows a national review that added 31 new airborne contaminants and introduced tighter exposure thresholds for many existing hazardous chemicals.
While most headlines focus on the new flour dust limit, the changes also cover diesel exhaust, asphalt fumes, herbicides, wood dust, and cement, impacting everyone from food manufacturers and council depots to transport operators and road crews.
Here’s how the updates will reshape compliance expectations across sectors and what businesses should do to protect workers and maintain a safe work environment.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Examples: bakeries, mills, snack producers, frozen food factories
Key Change:

• Flour Dust – new limit 0.5 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA)
• Grain Dusts – 1.5 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA)

This is one of the most significant shifts in decades for the food industry.
Bakeries, pie producers, and ingredient plants that once passed air monitoring under “nuisance dust” limits will now need to comply with a specific flour dust WEL ten times stricter than before.
Even modern facilities with enclosed mixers can exceed the new threshold during flour tipping or bag changes.
Manufacturers who act now, including major Australian food producers, will enter 2026 audit-ready and compliant, with appropriate control measures in place to manage health hazards.

Grain Handling & Agriculture

Examples: grain receival sites, feed mills, bulk storage, farm silos
Key Change:

• Grain Dusts – new limit 1.5 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA)

Agriculture faces renewed scrutiny under the new WEL framework.
Airborne grain dust in silos, augers, and storage facilities remains a major source of worker exposure, particularly during harvest.
Under the revised system, employers must prove ongoing air monitoring and demonstrate that extraction systems or respirators keep exposures below 1.5 mg/m³.
(Previously, these operations would have fallen under the generic “Particulates Not Otherwise Classified” range of 3–10 mg/m³, or the older 4 mg/m³ grain dust standard.)

Transport, Warehousing & Logistics

Examples: freight depots, cold-storage facilities, distribution centres, council workshops
Key Change:

• Diesel Exhaust – new limit 0.01 mg/m³ (as respirable elemental carbon)

This change affects every site operating diesel vehicles or plant indoors.
Warehouses, distribution hubs, and service depots will now need to assess diesel particulate exposure for forklift and fleet operators.
The new limit is extremely low, matching the standards long applied in underground mining, and will surprise many general manufacturers and local councils who have never been required to test for diesel before.
Employers should review their safety data sheets (SDS) and ensure all hazardous chemicals are correctly classified, labelled, and managed under their occupational safety and health plans.

Road Construction & Asphalt Works

Examples: asphalt plants, road maintenance crews, bitumen storage facilities
Key Change:

• Asphalt Fumes – reduced from 5 mg/m³ to 0.5 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA)
• Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles & PAHs – reclassified as non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens (NTGCs)
• From 2026, any asphalt or paving operation releasing PAH mixtures containing benzo[a]pyrene will trigger automatic health-monitoring duties under Schedule 14.

Asphalting and road-building operations generate airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and bitumen fumes that now have clearly defined control expectations.
These updates mean councils, road crews, and asphalt labs will need to review ventilation, fume extraction, and health-monitoring arrangements to remain compliant with Safe Work Australia and Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation.

Wood Processing & Timber Manufacturing

Examples: sawmills, joineries, furniture factories, cabinet shops, school workshops
Key Change:

• Wood Dust – reaffirmed sensitiser classification (1 mg/m³ hardwood, 5 mg/m³ softwood)

Wood dust remains one of the most common causes of occupational asthma.
While the numeric limits are unchanged, the 2026 WEL framework re-emphasises enforcement and record-keeping.
Regulators expect clear evidence of LEV performance, fit testing, and air monitoring in all woodworking environments, including education and public-sector facilities.
Effective control measures include local exhaust ventilation, PPE, and scheduled air monitoring to verify that exposures remain within legal thresholds.
Councils, Utilities & Public-Sector Depots
Examples: road maintenance yards, grouting and concreting areas, carpentry workshops, parks and gardens teams, waste facilities
Council operations often combine several WEL-regulated hazards on one site, affecting staff across parks, roads, and asset maintenance teams.
Key predicted changes relevant to councils include:

• Asphalting works: Bitumen fume exposure standard reduced ten-fold (from 5.0 mg/m³ to 0.5 mg/m³). Coal Tar Pitch and PAHs containing benzo[a]pyrene are now classified as non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens, meaning there is no practical safe exposure level.
• Herbicide and weed-killer application: New WEL of 0.1 mg/m³ (respirable fraction) for Diquat, and a tightened standard for Atrazine, reduced from 5.0 mg/m³ to 1.0 mg/m³. Grounds and vegetation teams should review mixing, spraying, and PPE controls accordingly.
• Mechanic workshops and dispatch sheds: Diesel particulate (elemental carbon) standard introduced at 0.01 mg/m³, alongside reduced exhaust gas limits for NO and CO. Enclosed or poorly ventilated workshops will need improved extraction and monitoring.
• Grouting and concreting works: A specific exposure limit of 1 mg/m³ (respirable dust) has been allocated for Portland cement, requiring updated dust-control and housekeeping practices.
• Carpentry workshops: The softwood dust standard has been reduced from 5 mg/m³ to 2 mg/m³, bringing workshop ventilation and extraction systems under closer scrutiny.

Under the new framework, councils must manage these exposures holistically and maintain air monitoring records, safety data sheets, and control measures across departments.
For many, this will be their first formal exposure assessment, making early planning essential to maintain compliance and protect worker health.

Laboratories & QA Facilities

Examples: food testing labs, asphalt QC labs, R&D facilities
Key Change:

• Cross-exposure awareness

Quality-control and R&D teams are often overlooked, yet they can be exposed to flour, wood, or asphalt particulates when grinding, heating, or testing samples.
These workplaces must verify that fume hoods and local extraction systems meet the inhalable and respirable fraction limits specified in the WEL documentation.
Laboratories should review safety data sheets and apply control measures that align with guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), adapted to Australian standards.

Why These Changes Matter

The 2026 WEL update marks Australia’s largest modernisation of airborne contaminant standards in more than a decade.
By setting lower exposure thresholds for dusts, fumes, and particulates, Safe Work Australia is aligning national standards with international best practice, promoting a culture of prevention consistent with global authorities such as the Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NIOSH.
For many employers, this will mean formalising practices that have previously been informal, such as commissioning air monitoring, recording ventilation performance, and introducing fit-testing programs for higher-risk workers.
This shift strengthens the overall work environment, minimises term exposures, and helps businesses maintain a proactive approach to occupational safety and health.

How JTA Can Help

JTA’s Detect. Protect. framework is designed to help businesses prepare ahead of the 2026 deadline.
Our team provides:

1. Air monitoring and exposure assessments for flour, grain, diesel, asphalt, herbicide, cement, and wood dust
2. Occupational hygienist consultation to interpret the new WEL thresholds and workplace exposure standards
3. Practical control recommendations that meet audit and insurer expectations
4. Training and fit testing to close compliance gaps before enforcement begins

Whether you manage a bakery, road crew, council depot, or timber plant, JTA can help you understand how the new WELs apply and ensure you’re ready for 2026.
Detect hazards. Protect your people. Stay compliant.
Call 1300 856 282 to discuss with our expert team.