---
title: "2026 Welding Fume Regulation Changes: What Australian Workplaces Need to Know"
description: New exposure limits, updated compliance requirements and a new standard for welding fume extraction equipment are changing how businesses protect workers.
---

[ATOM Blog](https://blog.atom.com.au)

# [2026 Welding Fume Regulation Changes: What Australian Workplaces Need to Know](https://blog.atom.com.au/2026-welding-fume-regulation-changes-what-australian-workplaces-need-to-know)

 Written by [ATOM](https://blog.atom.com.au/author/atom) | Oct 16, 2026, 2:31:25 AM

Australia's approach to managing welding fume exposure is undergoing one of the most significant regulatory shifts the industry has seen in recent years. New exposure limits, updated compliance requirements, and the introduction of a new standard for welding fume extraction equipment are changing how businesses assess risk and protect workers from hazardous airborne contaminants.

For organisations involved in welding, fabrication, manufacturing, maintenance, and related industries, understanding these changes is critical. The new requirements affect not only workplace compliance but also the selection of fume extraction equipment and personal protective equipment.

This article summarises the key changes and what they mean for Australian workplaces.

*Part 3 of our WES to WEL series. Catch up on Part 1: [what's changing](https://blog.atom.com.au/wes-to-wel-what-australian-workplaces-need-to-know-before-1-december-2026.v2), and Part 2: [preparing your workplace](https://blog.atom.com.au/new-workplace-exposure-limits-a-practical-guide-to-preparing-your-workplace).*

## Australia's Tightening Approach to Welding Fume Exposure

In January 2024, Australia reduced the Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) for welding fume by 80%, lowering the 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) from 5 mg/m³ to 1 mg/m³. The lower limit is enforceable by law, meaning workplaces are expected to demonstrate compliance with the updated requirements.

**Further changes will take effect on 1 December 2026**, when Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) are replaced by **Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL)**. This transition aligns Australia with modern international occupational exposure terminology and introduces substantial reductions for several contaminants commonly associated with welding and brazing activities.

The move from WES to WEL is much more than a simple name change. It reflects a broader tightening of allowable exposure limits and introduces new expectations around risk management and exposure control.

## Key Welding Fume Contaminants Facing Reduced Exposure Limits

Many of the individual substances that may be present within welding fumes will be subject to significantly lower exposure limits under the new WEL framework.

### Manganese (Mn)

Manganese is commonly found in welding consumables used with steels and some aluminium alloys, making it present in the fumes generated by many arc welding processes. Chronic exposure is associated with neurological and nervous system disorders.

| Current WES | New WEL |
| --- | --- |
| 1 mg/m³ (inhalable) | 0.1 mg/m³ (inhalable) 0.02 mg/m³ (respirable) |

The reduction represents a tenfold decrease for inhalable manganese exposure.

### Beryllium (Be)

Beryllium can be found as a hardening agent in copper, magnesium and aluminium alloys. Exposure may result in metal fume fever, respiratory tract damage, and an increased risk of lung cancer.

| Current WES | New WEL |
| --- | --- |
| 0.002 mg/m³ | 0.00002 mg/m³ |

### Cadmium (Cd)

Cadmium may be present when welding cadmium-plated materials or brazing with cadmium-bearing alloys. Health effects can include respiratory irritation, sore throat, chest pain, breathing difficulties, kidney damage and emphysema.

| Current WES | New WEL |
| --- | --- |
| 0.01 mg/m³ | 0.001 mg/m³ |

### Chromium VI (Cr+6)

Chromium VI may be generated when welding stainless steel or high-chromium alloy materials, with exposure linked to an increased risk of lung cancer.

| Current WES | New WEL |
| --- | --- |
| 0.05 mg/m³ | No exposure limit |

A particularly noteworthy change is that Chromium VI will go from a WES of 0.05mg/m³ to no longer having an exposure limit under the new WEL framework. It is classified as a Non-Threshold Genotoxic Carcinogen (NTGC), meaning it may cause genetic damage and potentially cancer at any level of exposure. As a result, businesses are expected to eliminate, substitute, or minimise the risk so far as reasonably practicable.

*Read more about [why 33 substances will have no numerical limit](https://blog.atom.com.au/wes-to-wel-what-australian-workplaces-need-to-know-before-1-december-2026.v2) in Part 1 of our series.*

## The Introduction of AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series Standards for Fume Extraction Systems

*Pictured (L-R): Nederman GoMax On-Gun Extraction System, Nederman 860 On-Gun Extraction System, Plymovent Self-Cleaning Portable LEV Unit*

Alongside the new Workplace Exposure Limits, Australia and New Zealand adopted the ISO 21904 international standards in March 2026, publishing them as the AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series.

These standards establish requirements for welding fume extraction systems and have important implications for equipment selection and compliance.

Importantly, the standards do not focus solely on filter media efficiency. Instead, they assess the performance of the complete assembled extraction unit. This is critical because filter efficiency alone can be misleading if welding fume leaks elsewhere in the system.

An AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series rated fume extraction system must demonstrate:

- At least 99% filtration efficiency for welding fume (W3 classification)
- Verified performance of the complete device, rather than the efficiency of the filter media alone
- Airflow monitoring including warnings and alarms
- Safe filter handling and dust management
- Minimum capture velocity requirements and validated extraction hood/fume extraction torch performance.

Stricter exposure limits leave less room for ineffective controls. Selecting equipment designed and tested to these requirements becomes increasingly important.

[**View the Portable LEV Fume Extractors here**](https://www.atom.com.au/search?q=plymovent%20extraction)

[**Check out On-Gun Fume Extraction units here**](https://www.atom.com.au/search?q=fume%20extraction&v=Nederman)

## A Practical Approach to Welding Fume Control

Reducing welding fume exposure to below the current limit, while also preparing for the new WEL requirements, can be achieved through a practical combination of engineering controls, respiratory protection, and safe work practices.

As well as protecting the welder, who is exposed to the highest concentration of welding fume, it is important to protect other workers in the vicinity who may also be exposed.

### Protecting only the Welder^

 *Pictured: A 3M Speedglas G5-01 Welding Helmet with Adflo PAPR*

Welding helmets fitted with integrated Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR) can be extremely effective in protecting the welder. A PAPR Welding Helmet features a welding helmet connected to a belt-mounted respirator, which pulls in filtered air to the wearer’s breathing zone.

A recent study found that a 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet with Adflo PAPR reduced welding fume exposure by a minimum of 99.96% – meaning the PAPR reduced exposure to at least 1/2600th of the outside welding fume concentration1.

When compared with on-gun fume extraction and hooded LEV systems, the Adflo PAPR was found to be the most effective method in protecting the welder from welding fume and ozone1,2. For workplaces looking to reduce exposure to fume in a non-confined space^ (as well as the individual chemicals within the fume), a Welding Helmet with PAPR should be considered a priority.1

Alongside introducing Welding Helmets with PAPR, other practices to help minimise exposure for the welder can include:

- Ensuring staff are trained on maintenance and correct usage of their PAPR
- Where possible, introducing less hazardous materials or a welding technique which produces less fume
- Removing surface coatings before welding
- Taking advantage of natural ventilation and keeping their head away from the plume (where possible).

[**View the Speedglas G5-01 Flip-Up Welding Helmets with Adflo PAPR**](https://www.atom.com.au/search?q=welding%20helmet%20PAPR&v=Speedglas)

### Protecting the Welder AND Other Workers^

Under WHS law, it is the employer’s legal responsibility to reduce exposure for all workers, not just the welder, to as low as reasonably practicable.

While a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) can significantly reduce a welder's personal exposure, effective welding fume control also requires source capture through engineering controls. Local exhaust ventilation and fume extraction systems play an important role in limiting the spread of welding fume across the workplace.

Choosing equipment that complies with the AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series helps ensure extraction effectiveness and supports the reduction of recirculated airborne contaminants.

In summary, practices which can be used to minimise exposure for welders and surrounding workers include:

- Dedicating a specific welding area away from others
- Use Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) alongside a welding helmet fitted with a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) to help protect the welder while reducing the spread of welding fume throughout the workplace
- If suitable for your application, introduce on-gun fume extraction, as it is the most practical and effective LEV control1
- Training staff in correct use and maintenance of LEV & PAPR units
- Using a different welding technique which produces less fume or use less hazardous materials, where possible
- Remove any surface coatings
- Welders should move their heads away from the plume where possible.

[**View the Portable LEV Fume Extractors here**](https://www.atom.com.au/search?q=plymovent%20extraction)

[**Check out On-Gun Fume Extraction units here**](https://www.atom.com.au/search?q=fume%20extraction&v=Nederman)

## Preparing for the New Welding Fume Compliance Environment

Australia is entering a new era of welding fume control. The move to Workplace Exposure Limits and the introduction of AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series standards represent a major evolution in worker protection and exposure management.

For employers, fabricators and welding operations, the challenge is not simply understanding the new rules, but ensuring that existing controls remain effective under tighter exposure requirements.

The good news is that modern welding fume control technologies provide workplaces with a pathway toward achieving these new expectations while creating healthier environments for welders and those working around them.

The team at ATOM, partnering with Apex Welding Safety, are here to assist workplaces in understanding how to best protect their workers against welding fume.

*Want a step-by-step plan for identifying, assessing and controlling exposures? Read Part 2: [preparing your workplace](https://blog.atom.com.au/new-workplace-exposure-limits-a-practical-guide-to-preparing-your-workplace).*

[**Sign up to our WES to WEL free info session**](https://promo.atom.com.au/wes-to-wel)

^ This document does not address confined spaces. Confined spaces should be avoided where possible. All of today’s current welding fume product controls have their limitations in a confined space. There should be a suitably trained and knowledgeable person doing the assessment and design of a safe system for any confined space entry.

Consultation with a welding fume product control expert should always be carried out to understand the limitations of each product control within a confined space. For more information on welding fume product controls within confined spaces please contact an ATOM or AWS Welding Fume Specialist.

### References

1. 2023 Peter Knott, Georgia Csorba, Dustin Bennett, Ryan Kift. Welding fume; a comparison study of industry-used control methods. Safety Journal.
2. 2024 Protecting the Welder from Ozone: A Scientific Study, AWS.

<https://promo.atom.com.au/wes-to-wel>

 

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