With just months remaining before Australia’s new workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants take effect, Safe Work Australia has released three new guides designed to help employers, workers and safety professionals understand what is changing — and what they need to do before 1 December 2026.

From that date, employers will be legally required to ensure no person at their workplace is exposed to an airborne contaminant at a level above the limits set in the new Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) list, which replaces the existing Workplace Exposure Standards (WES).

The three new guides cover: air monitoring and the WEL for airborne contaminants — a technical guide providing practical advice on how to assess exposure, plan and conduct air monitoring, interpret results, and report findings, aimed primarily at occupational hygienists and technical specialists; managing the risks of exposure to diesel engine emissions — a guide specifically addressing one of the most significant new limits: diesel particulate matter, now set at 0.01 mg/m³ (measured as respirable elemental carbon) from 1 December 2026; and a PCBU compliance guide — practical guidance for employers to understand and meet their duties under the new framework.

Diesel engine emissions are a concern across a broad range of industries — mining, construction, transport and logistics, agriculture and manufacturing all involve significant diesel-powered plant. Employers in these sectors who have not yet assessed their workers’ exposure to diesel particulate matter, or who are unfamiliar with the new 0.01 mg/m³ limit, should treat the release of these guides as an urgent call to action.

The guides are available now via the Safe Work Australia website.