Workplace exposure standards: release schedule and opportunities to comment on draft recommendations

Safe Work Australia is evaluating the Workplace Exposure Standards for airborne contaminants to ensure they are based on the highest quality contemporary evidence and supported by a rigorous scientific approach.

Draft evaluation reports and recommendations for each chemical will be made available for public comment throughout 2019-2020. Chemicals will be released alphabetically and public comment will be open for each release for four weeks on Engage.

The 30 August 2019 release contains draft evaluation reports and recommendations for acetaldehyde to benzoyl chloride. Each report includes:

• a recommended WES value
• information about the basis of the recommendation, and
• a summary of the data relied upon to make the recommendation.

The recommended WES values are health-based recommendations made by expert consultants using the streamlined methodology developed by Safe Work Australia and have been independently peer reviewed. SWA says it wants public feedback on these values, particularly comments of a technical nature regarding:

• the toxicological information and data that the value is based upon, and
• the measurement and analysis information provided.

The anticipated schedule for public comment is now available on Safe Work Australia's website. The dates are indicative only - for the latest information please continue to visit Engage.

Further information

Stay informed about the review and future release dates by subscribing to the 'chemical exposure standards' mailing list.