Farmers and Miners Say New Dust and Chemical Restrictions May Be Impossible to Measure
WESTERN AUSTRALIA — September 21, 2026

Australian farmers and mining groups are raising concerns about new workplace exposure limits for dust, fumes and chemicals that are due to take effect on December 1.

The changes are intended to strengthen protections for workers, but industry representatives say some of the new limits may be difficult to measure and comply with in real-world working conditions.

New Limits Cover Hundreds of Substances
The new Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs), developed by Safe Work Australia, will replace the existing workplace exposure standards from December 1.

More than 600 substances are covered by the new system, with exposure limits tightened for about 250 of them. The limits are intended to define the maximum airborne concentration to which most workers can be exposed without harm to their health.

Safe Work Australia says the revised limits reflect current scientific evidence and independent expert advice. The review also involved public consultation between 2019 and 2021.

Farmers Raise Concerns Over Phosphine
The grain industry has raised particular concerns about phosphine, a fumigant widely used to protect stored and exported grain from insects.

Alastair Falconer, chair of the West Australian Grain Group, said the new exposure limit for phosphine will be reduced by 80 per cent.

He questioned whether equipment is available to reliably me

asure concentrations at such low levels and warned that the change could make the chemical difficult to use during grain storage and export operations.

Farmers are also concerned about new limits for grain dust from crops including wheat, oats and barley. Industry representatives have called for more time to determine how the new requirements can be measured and implemented during harvesting.

Mining Industry Also Questions the Rules
Mining groups have raised similar concerns, particularly about exposure to certain mineral dusts.

Warren Pearce, chief executive of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, said a single approach may not account for differences between individual mining operations and types of ore.

He said some mines could struggle to demonstrate that exposure levels are below the new limits because of difficulties measuring contaminants at very low concentrations.

The Minerals Council of Australia has also said technical and practical considerations need to be assessed as the industry prepares for the changes.

Safe Work Australia Defends the Standards
Safe Work Australia said compliance would be assessed through personal air monitoring of workers, rather than simply measuring contamination at a fixed point in a workplace.

The agency also said it recognises questions about how some limits, including phosphine, will be applied in practice and is working with industry and government agencies to provide guidance.

The new limits were agreed by workplace safety ministers in 2024 and are scheduled to take effect nationally on December 1, 2026, subject to implementation through relevant workplace safety laws.

Some jurisdictions have already announced delays for particular substances. Victoria, for example, has postponed limits for 15 airborne contaminants, including phosphine, until December 2029.

Industry Seeks More Time
Farm and mining representatives are asking authorities to consider changes or delays before the December deadline.

The debate centres on how to balance stricter protection for workers with the ability of employers to accurately measure and control exposure in different working environments.

For now, the national transition to the new Workplace Exposure Limits remains scheduled for December 1, 2026.

Sources: ABC News Australia; Safe Work Australia.