WorkSafe Earth Resources Tripartite Safety (ERTS) Forum
The ERTS Forum on 11 March 2026 was chaired by Mark Glenister, Acting Manager, Earth Resources and Silica.
WorkSafe’s definition of Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) will be replaced by the new term, Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL), the limit that must not be exceeded, to be introduced on 1 December 2026, subject to Ministerial sign-off.
Proposed changes include the following:
- 177 hazardous substances will have exposure limits reduced (more stringent);
- 31 new hazardous substances will be added to the WEL list;
- 40 hazardous substances will have increased limits (less stringent);
- 30 hazardous substances will be removed from the list being prohibited in Australia.
Of note are the following:
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS): WES for RCS is currently at 0.05mg/m3 TWA; the proposed change, if accepted, will mean a reduction to a WEL of 0.025mg/m3 TWA.
Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) is a particulate, generated by diesel engines used across multiple industries. DPM was recognised as a Group 1 carcinogen by IARC in 2012 meaning it has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The proposed WEL for DPM is 0.01 mg/m3.
Workplaces will need to monitor exposure and comply before 1 December 2026.
For more information and to subscribe to updates visit the WorkSafe Victoria website.
During the forum there was robust discussion around personal hygiene monitoring and static monitoring for RCS. Some union representatives at the ERTS were in favor of continuous monitoring rather than one-off employee monitoring. Also raised by CMPA was whether a relationship between EPA and WorkSafe monitoring requirements could be established to eliminate duplication as they are measuring the same analytes.
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