Workplace exposure standards review

Under the WES review, health-based recommendations for WES were made by experts (using the methodology below) and released for public feedback. Public feedback on the health-based recommendations closed in 2021. Safe Work Australia received more than 1,100 submissions to the review.

All recommendations for changes to the WES list resulting from this review will be considered by Safe Work Australia Members, along with the feedback provided by stakeholders.  Safe Work Australia Members will then make recommendations to Work Health and Safety (WHS) Ministers as the relevant decision makers.   This is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2023. 

Changes to the WES only become mandatory once adopted in the WHS laws of the Commonwealth, states and territories. There will be a standard three-year transitional period for duty holders to comply with the revised WES list.

Subscribe to the exposure standards for airborne contaminants mailing list to stay informed about the WES and WES review.  
 

WES review methodology

A detailed WES review methodology was developed and agreed to by WHS Ministers before the WES review started. This methodology guided the whole review process, including:

  • which scientific sources to use
  • which chemicals should be added or removed from the WES list, and
  • which notations should be considered. 

The following documents describe the methodology for reviewing the workplace exposure standards:

Contact

Email us at WES@swa.gov.au if you have questions or want more information about the WES list or the WES review. 

Supporting information