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Queensland adopts Australia's new Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) from 1 December 2026, but with a three-year transition for 15 substances. For those substances, the current standards continue until 1 December 2029, and flour dust has no limit until then.
Queensland at a glance
Status at 12 November 2026: the amending regulation had not yet been published on the Queensland legislation register. WHSQ's guidance says the WEL list applies from 1 December 2026, and we'll update this article when the regulation is made.
Queensland has adopted the same 15-substance transition as Victoria. For each one, the current value continues until 30 November 2029 and the national WEL applies from 1 December 2029:
| Substance | In Queensland until 1 Dec 2029 | From 1 Dec 2029 (national WEL) |
|---|---|---|
| Bitumen fumes | 5 mg/m³ TWA | 0.5 mg/m³ TWA |
| Diesel particulate matter (as respirable elemental carbon) | 0.1 mg/m³ TWA | 0.01 mg/m³ TWA |
| Flour (cereal) dust | No limit | 0.5 mg/m³ TWA |
| Grain dust (oats, wheat, barley) | 4 mg/m³ TWA | 1.5 mg/m³ TWA |
| Hydrogen fluoride (as F) | 3 ppm peak | 0.5 ppm TWA and 2 ppm peak |
| Manganese fume, dust and compounds | 1 mg/m³ TWA (fume also 3 mg/m³ STEL) | 0.1 mg/m³ (inhalable) and 0.02 mg/m³ (respirable) TWA |
| Methyl bromide | 5 ppm TWA | 1 ppm TWA |
| Nickel metal, powder and sulphide roasting | 1 mg/m³ TWA | 0.1 mg/m³ TWA (metal and insoluble compounds) |
| Nitric oxide | 25 ppm TWA | 2 ppm TWA |
| Perchloroethylene | 50 ppm TWA, 150 ppm STEL | 20 ppm TWA, 40 ppm STEL |
| Phosphine | 0.3 ppm TWA, 1 ppm STEL | 0.05 ppm TWA, 0.15 ppm peak |
| Portland cement | 10 mg/m³ TWA (inhalable) | 1 mg/m³ TWA (respirable) |
| Styrene, monomer | 50 ppm TWA, 100 ppm STEL | 20 ppm TWA, 40 ppm STEL |
| Sulphur dioxide | 2 ppm TWA, 5 ppm STEL | 0.25 ppm STEL |
| Wood dust (softwood) | 5 mg/m³ TWA, 10 mg/m³ STEL | 2 mg/m³ TWA |
Values for the current standards come from Safe Work Australia's WES list, and WEL values from the national WEL list. WHSQ doesn't publish its own consolidated table, so check the source lists for notations such as skin absorption or sensitisation.
Every other substance moves to the national WEL list on 1 December 2026. That includes:
WHSQ makes three points worth keeping in mind:
No. The transition gives Queensland businesses time to prepare for much lower limits, not permission to delay. Your duty to eliminate or minimise exposure so far as is reasonably practicable applies now, whether or not a substance has a number attached.
Three reasons to start early:
For more on flour dust, see Flour Dust Now Has a Legal Limit for the First Time in Australia.
The silica limit stays at 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA), and Queensland's silica rules continue:
Queensland's mines and quarries aren't covered by the Work Health and Safety Act. They're regulated by Resources Safety & Health Queensland under the coal mining and the mining and quarrying safety and health laws, which set some limits directly, such as respirable coal dust at 1.5 mg/m³ and crystalline silica at 0.05 mg/m³.
When we checked, RSHQ hadn't published a notice on how the WEL change applies to mines. If you operate a mine or quarry, confirm the position with RSHQ.
| Substance | NSW | Victoria | Queensland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour dust | 0.5 mg/m³ from 1 Dec 2026 | No limit until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.5 mg/m³ | No limit until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.5 mg/m³ |
| Grain dust | 1.5 mg/m³ from 1 Dec 2026 | 4 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 1.5 mg/m³ | 4 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 1.5 mg/m³ |
| Softwood dust | 2 mg/m³ from 1 Dec 2026 | 5 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 2 mg/m³ | 5 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 2 mg/m³ |
| Diesel particulate matter | 0.05 mg/m³ until 30 Jun 2028, then 0.01 mg/m³ | 0.1 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.01 mg/m³ (underground mining stays at 0.1) | 0.1 mg/m³ until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.01 mg/m³ |
| Phosphine | 0.3 ppm until 30 Jun 2028, then 0.05 ppm | 0.3 ppm until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.05 ppm | 0.3 ppm until 1 Dec 2029, then 0.05 ppm |
| Portland cement | 1 mg/m³ (respirable) from 1 Dec 2026 | 10 mg/m³ (inhalable) until 1 Dec 2029, then 1 mg/m³ respirable | 10 mg/m³ (inhalable) until 1 Dec 2029, then 1 mg/m³ respirable |
For every state and territory, see our state-by-state flour dust table. For NSW's interim limits, see Workplace Exposure Limits in NSW, and for Victoria's transition, see Which Workplace Exposure Limits Are Delayed in Victoria?.
| Step | Action | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sort your substances into two groups | Those moving to the WEL on 1 December 2026, and those on transition until 1 December 2029. |
| 2 | Act on the 2026 group first | Compare exposure with the new limits and close any gaps now. |
| 3 | Measure the 2029 group now | Baseline monitoring shows how far you are from the 2029 limits and how much work is needed. |
| 4 | Plan and budget controls | Use the transition to design and fund engineering controls such as extraction, enclosure and electric equipment. |
| 5 | Review health monitoring | Check arrangements still suit your substances and exposures. |
| 6 | Keep records | Document monitoring, controls and decisions so you can show your reasoning. |
| Service | How It Helps | Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Hygiene | Identify, assess and manage airborne contaminants against the limits that apply at each site. | View service → |
| Air Monitoring | Measure contaminants in workers' breathing zones so you can compare exposure with the limit. | View service → |
| Health Risk Assessments | Prioritise which substances and tasks need attention first. | View service → |
| Respirator Fit Testing | Make sure tight-fitting respirators protect the workers who rely on them. | View service → |
JTA's occupational hygienists can review your substances against the limits that apply in Queensland, carry out personal air monitoring and recommend practical controls before the dates that matter to you.
DETECT. PROTECT.
Talk to JTA about a WEL gap assessment.
1300 856 282
More WEL guidance: Workplace Exposure Limits Resource Centre · Workplace Exposure Limits Are Changing · Diesel Exhaust Has a New Workplace Exposure Limit
Checked on 12 November 2026.
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JTA Health, Safety & Noise Specialists acknowledges the Boon Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which the home of JTA resides. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land.
