Work Health and Safety Act 2020
Work Health and Safety Legislation (Workplace Exposure Limits) Amendment Regulations 2026
Work Health and Safety Act 2020
Work Health and Safety Legislation (Workplace Exposure Limits) Amendment Regulations 2026
Western Australia
Work Health and Safety Legislation (Workplace Exposure Limits) Amendment Regulations 2026
Contents
Part 1 — Preliminary
1.Citation1
2.Commencement1
Part 2 — Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 amended
3.Regulations amended2
4.Regulation 5 amended2
5.Regulation 33 amended2
6.Regulation 48A inserted3
48A.Modifications to exposure limits3
7.Regulation 49 amended4
8.Regulation 50 amended5
9.Regulation 352 amended6
10.Regulation 420 amended6
11.Regulation 454 amended6
12.Regulation 455 amended6
13.Regulation 482 amended6
14.Regulation 529CA amended7
15.Regulation 529CE amended7
16.Schedule 8 amended7
Part 3 — Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 amended
17.Regulations amended8
18.Regulation 5 amended8
19.Regulation 33 amended8
20.Regulation 48A inserted9
48A.Modifications to exposure limits9
21.Regulation 49 amended10
22.Regulation 50 amended11
23.Regulation 352 amended12
24.Regulation 420 amended12
25.Regulation 454 amended12
26.Regulation 455 amended12
27.Regulation 482 amended13
28.Regulation 637 amended13
29.Regulation 637A amended13
30.Regulation 648 amended13
31.Regulation 650 amended14
32.Regulation 656B deleted14
33.Schedule 8 amended14
Work Health and Safety Act 2020
Work Health and Safety Legislation (Workplace Exposure Limits) Amendment Regulations 2026
Made by the Governor in Executive Council.
These regulations come into operation as follows —
(a)Part 1 — on the day on which these regulations are published on the WA legislation website;
(b)the rest of the regulations — on 1 December 2026.
Part 2 — Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 amended
This Part amends the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.
(1)In regulation 5 delete the definition of exposure standard.
(2)In regulation 5 insert in alphabetical order:
exposure limit means an exposure limit in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants as modified by regulation 48A;
mg/m3 means milligrams per cubic metre of air;
ppm means parts of a contaminant per million parts of air;
Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants means the document of that name published by Safe Work Australia dated November 2025;
In regulation 33 in example 1 delete “standard.” and insert:
limit.
At the beginning of Chapter 3 Part 3.2 Division 7 insert:
48A.Modifications to exposure limits
(1)This regulation modifies the text of the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants.
(2)The Table in Appendix A is modified by deleting the row relating to Diesel particulate matter (as respirable elemental carbon).
(3)The Table in Appendix A is modified in the row relating to Phosphine by deleting the 8‑hour time weighted averages (TWA) of 0.05 ppm and 0.07 mg/m3 and the peak limits of 0.15 ppm and 0.21 mg/m3 and inserting the following exposure limits —
(a)8‑hour time weighted average (TWA) —
(i)0.3 ppm; and
(ii)0.42 mg/m3;
(b)short term exposure limit (STEL) —
(i)1 ppm; and
(ii)1.4 mg/m3.
(4)In subregulation (3), each of the following terms has the same meaning as in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants —
8‑hour time weighted average (TWA)
peak limitation (peak limit)
short term exposure limit (STEL)
(5)The modification in subregulation (3) applies until 30 November 2029.
(1)In regulation 49(1) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(2)In regulation 49(2):
(a)delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(b)delete “time‑weighted” and insert:
time weighted
(c)in paragraph (a) delete “mg per cubic metre of air;” and insert:
mg/m3;
(d)in paragraph (b) delete “mg per cubic metre of air.” and insert:
mg/m3.
(3)In regulation 49(3):
(a)delete “Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants” and insert:
Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants
(b)delete “standard referred to in those Standards.” and insert:
limit referred to in that document.
(4)Delete regulation 49(4) and insert:
(4)In subregulation (2), each of the following terms has the same meaning as in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants —
8‑hour time weighted average
inhalable
respirable
Note: The heading to amended regulation 49 is to read:
Ensuring exposure limits for substances and mixtures not exceeded
In regulation 50(1):
(a)delete “standard” (1st occurrence) and insert:
limit
(b)in paragraph (a) delete “standard; or” and insert:
limit; or
In regulation 352(c) delete “standard;” and insert:
limit;
In regulation 420(2) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
In regulation 454(2)(a) delete “to below the exposure standard; and” and insert:
below the exposure limit for asbestos; and
In regulation 455(2) delete “to below the exposure standard.” and insert:
below the exposure limit for asbestos.
In regulation 482(1) and (2) delete “standard” and insert:
limit for asbestos
In regulation 529CA(2)(e) delete “workplace exposure standard;” and insert:
exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica;
In regulation 529CE(b) delete “workplace exposure standard” and insert:
exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica
In Schedule 8 clause 3(2)(a)(iv) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
Part 3 — Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 amended
This Part amends the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022.
(1)In regulation 5 delete the definition of exposure standard.
(2)In regulation 5 insert in alphabetical order:
exposure limit means an exposure limit in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants as modified by regulation 48A;
mg/m3 means milligrams per cubic metre of air;
ppm means parts of a contaminant per million parts of air;
Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants means the document of that name published by Safe Work Australia dated November 2025;
In regulation 33 in example 1 delete “standard.” and insert:
limit.
At the beginning of Chapter 3 Part 3.2 Division 7 insert:
48A.Modifications to exposure limits
(1)This regulation modifies the text of the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants.
(2)The Table in Appendix A is modified in the row relating to Diesel particulate matter (as respirable elemental carbon) by —
(a)deleting the 8‑hour time weighted average (TWA) of 0.01 mg/m3; and
(b)inserting the 8‑hour time weighted average (TWA) of 0.1 mg/m3 (measured as sub‑micron elemental carbon).
(3)The Table in Appendix A is modified in the row relating to Phosphine by deleting the 8‑hour time weighted averages (TWA) of 0.05 ppm and 0.07 mg/m3 and the peak limits of 0.15 ppm and 0.21 mg/m3 and inserting the following exposure limits —
(a)8‑hour time weighted average (TWA) —
(i)0.3 ppm; and
(ii)0.42 mg/m3;
(b)short term exposure limit (STEL) —
(i)1 ppm; and
(ii)1.4 mg/m3.
(4)In this regulation, each of the following terms has the same meaning as in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants —
8‑hour time weighted average (TWA)
peak limitation (peak limit)
short term exposure limit (STEL)
(5)The modification in subregulation (3) applies until 30 November 2029.
(1)In regulation 49(1) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(2)In regulation 49(2):
(a)delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(b)delete “time‑weighted” and insert:
time weighted
(c)in paragraph (a) delete “mg per cubic metre of air;” and insert:
mg/m3;
(d)in paragraph (b) delete “mg per cubic metre of air.” and insert:
mg/m3.
(3)In regulation 49(3):
(a)delete “Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants” and insert:
Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants
(b)delete “standard referred to in those Standards.” and insert:
limit referred to in that document.
(4)Delete regulation 49(4) and insert:
(4)In subregulation (2), each of the following terms has the same meaning as in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants —
8‑hour time weighted average
inhalable
respirable
Note: The heading to amended regulation 49 is to read:
Ensuring exposure limits for substances and mixtures not exceeded
In regulation 50(1):
(a)delete “standard” (1st occurrence) and insert:
limit
(b)in paragraph (a) delete “standard; or” and insert:
limit; or
In regulation 352(c) delete “standard;” and insert:
limit;
In regulation 420(2) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
In regulation 454(2)(a) delete “to below the exposure standard; and” and insert:
below the exposure limit for asbestos; and
In regulation 455(2) delete “to below the exposure standard.” and insert:
below the exposure limit for asbestos.
In regulation 482(1) and (2) delete “standard” and insert:
limit for asbestos
In regulation 637(1)(b)(i) and (ii) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(1)In regulation 637A(1) and (2) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
(2)In regulation 637A(3)(a) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
Note: The heading to amended regulation 637A is to read:
Requirements if airborne exposure limit for mixture or substance exceeded
In regulation 648(1):
(a)in paragraph (b)(ii) delete “49;” and insert:
49.
(b)after paragraph (b) delete “and”;
(c)delete paragraph (c).
In regulation 650(1):
(a)in paragraph (b) delete “exceeded; or” and insert:
exceeded.
(b)delete paragraph (c).
Note: The heading to amended regulation 650 is to read:
Requirements if air quality requirements or exposure limits not complied with
Delete regulation 656B.
In Schedule 8 clause 3(2)(a)(iv) delete “standard” and insert:
limit
A. O’SULLIVAN, Clerk of the Executive Council
© State of Western Australia 2026. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). To view relevant information and for a link to a copy of the licence, visit www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Attribute work as: © State of Western Australia 2026. Published by Authority of the Government Printer