On December 1, 2026, Australia will transition from Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) to Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL), with exposure levels for many substances found in welding fume set to decrease substantially. This shift marks a broader tightening of regulations around welding fume exposure, prompting many organisations to review and potentially update their current control measures.

The Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for airborne contaminants will be renamed Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) to emphasise that these values are strict limits and to align Australia with international terminology.

As part of the shift from WES to WEL, several hazardous metals commonly found in welding and brazing fume will face significant reductions under the new framework:

• Current WES: 1 mg/m³ (inhalable)
• New WEL: 0.1 mg/m³ (inhalable) and 0.02 mg/m³ (respirable)
• Manganese is found in welding consumables used to weld steels and some aluminium alloys. It is therefore in the fume created by most arc welding processes. Chronic exposure can cause neurological disorders and nervous system problems.

• Current WES: 0.01 mg/m³
• New WEL: 0.001 mg/m³
• Present in welding fume when welding through cadmium-plated materials or brazing fume if utilising cadmium-bearing alloys. Health effects include irritation of the respiratory system, sore and dry throat, chest pain and breathing difficulty. Chronic effects include kidney damage and emphysema.

• Current WES: 0.002 mg/m³
• New WEL: 0.00002 mg/m³
• Hardening agent found in copper, magnesium and aluminium alloys. Exposure to beryllium can result in "Metal Fume Fever," damage to the respiratory tract and increased risk of lung cancer.

• Current WES: 0.05 mg/m³
• New WEL: REMOVED — Chromium VI is classified as a non-threshold genotoxic carcinogen (NTGC), meaning it can cause genetic damage and potentially cancer at any level of exposure. From December 1, 2026, NTGCs will no longer have exposure limits. If they're present, PCBUs must eliminate them, substitute them with safer alternatives where possible, or minimise the risk as low as reasonably practicable.
• Chromium VI may be found in welding fume when arc welding with stainless steel and high-chromium-alloy consumables. Exposure is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer.

These new WELs represent one of the most significant tightening measures in Australia's occupational hygiene history — many workplaces will need to rethink their entire fume management strategy. Lower exposure limits leave less room for ineffective controls.

Many organisations will need to move toward high-efficiency, source-capture extraction, and should ensure new fume extractors meet the new AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series Standards, and be able to verify that controls in use achieve the required reductions in real-world exposure conditions.

The change mirrors a global tightening trend: the EU's sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive (CMRD), agreed in June and updated in July 2026, explicitly brings welding fumes into scope and sets new occupational exposure limits for cobalt, 1,4-dioxane, isoprene and PAHs. Combined with ongoing OSHA 1910.252 enforcement in the U.S., the message to fabricators is consistent — engineering controls, source-capture ventilation and verified respiratory protection are no longer optional.