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Australia · Australia: national guidanceGuidance

New air-monitoring guides published for the WEL transition

Safe Work Australia published employer and technical air-monitoring guides in July 2026 for the workplace exposure limit transition. The paired guides replace the earlier interpretation guidance from December 1, 2026.

Scope to keep in mind

These publications provide guidance. They do not independently establish local legal duties, and a full technical-method comparison has not been completed.

Legal status
published guidance future replacement
Source check
Sep 17, 2026
Topic
IH monitoring and interpretation
Technical review
Jiaxi · 2026-09-23

What changed

Previous requirement

Guidance on interpretation of workplace exposure standards.

New requirement or current position

The paired guides replace the old interpretation guidance from 1 December 2026.

Who it affects

  • All sectors
  • Occupational hygiene services

Dates and milestones

Commencement and compliance dates can differ. Read the conditions beside each date, including any stay or local adoption requirement.

Announcement or publication
Jul 24, 2026
Recorded effective date
Dec 1, 2026

What this could mean for your IH program

Review sampling, assessment and reporting procedures against the technical guide before changing the limit library.

Confirm applicability with a qualified practitioner before changing your program.

Questions and qualifications

  • No full technical-method diff or software algorithm validation was performed. Guidance is distinct from legislation.

Source evidence

  1. Guide for PCBUs: Air monitoring and the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants

    Safe Work Australia · 24 July 2026; replacement notice

    Published employer guide replaces old interpretation guidance from December 2026 with its technical companion.

  2. Technical guide: Air monitoring and the workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants

    Safe Work Australia · 24 July 2026; purpose and replacement notice

    Technical guidance addresses monitoring, interpretation and reporting and is paired with the PCBU guide.

Managing your IH program

Explore how LEAP IH supports industrial hygiene data management and risk assessment.

Explore LEAP IH

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