Workplace exposure standards framework under the model Work Health and Safety laws

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Workplace Health and Safety Ministers

On 31 October 2019, a majority of Workplace Health and Safety Ministers (WHS Ministers) agreed to maintain mandatory workplace exposure standards (WES) and implement a streamlined methodology to review and update the WES.

The WES are designed to protect workers against adverse health effects from exposure to airborne hazardous chemicals. The WHS Ministers’ decision means:

• there will be no change to the requirement to ensure exposure standards for substances and mixtures are not exceeded (Regulation 49);
• the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants will be updated using the agreed methodology; and
• the name of workplace exposure standards will be changed to workplace exposure limits.

The streamlined methodology provides a formal process to review and update WES values and the WES list in a sustainable and transparent way.

Safe Work Australia prepared a decision-making RIS that was provided to the WHS Ministers to inform their decision. The RIS was assessed by the Office of Best Practice Regulation as compliant with the COAG Best Practice Regulation requirements.

Attachment	Size
Workplace exposure standards framework under the model Work Health Safety Laws - Decision RIS	858.93 KB
Workplace exposure standards framework under the model Work Health Safety Laws - Decision RIS	1.31 MB

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