WorkSafe Victoria is seeking industry input on proposed changes by Safe Work Australia (SWA) to replace the current Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) list with the Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) list.
WES are airborne concentrations of certain chemicals that must not be exceeded to protect workers from harmful exposure. The WES list is developed, maintained and published by SWA, and adopted in Victoria under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) and the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022 (DG SH Regulations).
From 1 December 2026, SWA will rename WES as WEL to make it clear these are limits that must not be exceeded. While limits for most chemicals will remain unchanged, some, including the fumigant phosphine, will have its WEL reduced from 0.3ppm to 0.05ppm.
Unlike other states and territories, Victoria has not yet officially signed off on the change. While WorkSafe Victoria generally supported SWA’s proposal on phosphine when it was first considered several years ago, they now wish to reassess the impacts, given that the decision and supporting data are not recent. Their assessment focuses on:
- The significance of the change
- The compliance costs involved, which SWA did not consider
- Whether different regulations in each state would be appropriate in this area (noting WorkSafe’s preference for national consistency).
To understand the potential impacts on Victorian businesses, WorkSafe Victoria has engaged Nous Group to undertake a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) to estimate costs, benefits, and any unintended consequences.
As part of this process, Nous is conducting an online survey open to affected industries. The survey should take 15–20 minutes to complete and asks about how businesses currently manage airborne contaminants, such as phosphine, while providing an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed changes. Responses are anonymous.
The survey closes at 5pm on Sunday, 17 August 2025. GTA strongly encourages participation, even from those who do not directly use phosphine, as the survey allows for additional comments and broader industry feedback.
For further background on SWA’s plan to introduce new Workplace Exposure Limits for phosphine in December 2026, read our previous Grain Matters article Industry Raises Concerns on Proposed Phosphine Exposure Limits and visit the Safe Work Australia Phosphine page on the GTA website.
