Welding and safety in NSW is facing a pivotal change. The Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) for aluminium fumes is being reduced from 5 mg/m³ to 1 mg/m³, effective November 17, 2025. Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must act now to get exposure to aluminium fumes As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) and below the new WES.
This change calls for strong safety steps. You’ll need to review your hazard lists, update safety procedures, and arrange for professional air testing. This guide will help you update your safety system and train your team before the deadline. Keep reading to protect your workers and stay compliant.
What is the new Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) for aluminium welding fumes in NSW?
From November 17, 2025, the WES for aluminium welding fumes will drop from 5 mg/m³ to 1 mg/m³, measured over an 8-hour workday. The goal is to protect workers from the harmful effects of welding fumes. This shows that safety regulations for metalwork are becoming stricter in NSW.
It’s a strict, non-negotiable legal duty. You must ensure that no person at the workplace is exposed to airborne concentrations exceeding this new WES. The new figure aligns the standard for aluminium fumes with the pre-existing WES for general welding fumes (which are “not otherwise classified”), bringing all welding fume control under one umbrella of strict regulation. You must strive to keep exposure as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Meaning, even if you’re below the limit, you have to do more if you can reasonably do so.
Because many dangerous welding fumes are invisible, the only reliable method for compliance verification is quantitative air monitoring. Only a qualified Occupational Hygienist can conduct air monitoring in the worker’s breathing zone. This person will verify that the average airborne concentration stays below the WES during a typical 8-hour shift. Finally, the current WES will soon evolve into Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) from December 1, 2026, confirming that the regulatory landscape will continue to push for safer work environments.
How to Review and Update Your Hazard Register for Welding Fume Exposure
Updating your safety system is the most important first step to follow the new, lower WES for aluminium welding fumes. Do not wait until the November 2025 deadline to make these important changes.
The easiest way to do this is to use the FocusIMS Risk Management Module. Tell your safety team to quickly search for digital records like “Welding Fume Exposure,” “Aluminium Welding,” or even general terms like “Airborne Contaminants.” Finding this record is important to ensure all safety steps are linked to the correct risk.
Once you open the hazard record, update the risk assessment paperwork. You need to make two changes to match the new rule and standard:
- Update the WES Figure. Change the documented exposure limit from the old 5 mg/m³ to the new, stricter 1 mg/m³.
- Revise Legislative Reference. Ensure the entry cites the current WHS Regulations and the new Safe Work Australia guidance on the WES for aluminium welding fumes.
Also, a full hazard record must list all sources of the dangerous fumes, not just the main metal. Aluminium fume dangers can come from four main places: the metal being welded (aluminium), the materials used up during welding (like rods and wires), any coatings on the surface (such as paints, primers, or galvanising), and even the gases used to protect the weld (which can create nitrogen oxides or ozone).
If you miss a source, the whole system is at risk. By listing all these sources in your digital record, you can choose more effective safety measures, thereby improving welding and safety in NSW.
What Control Measures to Comply with the New Aluminium Welding Fume Standard in NSW?
To meet the strict WES requirements for aluminium welding fumes, you must apply the Hierarchy of Controls. This is non-negotiable. You can’t just skip to giving out respirators; the law demands you document, perhaps in your FocusIMS Risk Management Module, that you explored the highest-level controls first. Getting this process right is central to effective welding and safety in NSW.
Engineering Controls
Since eliminating welding entirely is rarely practicable, Engineering Controls are the most important means of protecting workers. These controls physically remove the hazard from where workers breathe, making them much more reliable than relying on people to follow restrictions.
- Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV): Install or use systems that capture fumes at the source. For fixed workshop welding, this means installing stationary fume extractors or ducted systems. For fieldwork or large pieces, use mobile fume extractors or non-gun extraction systems.
- Isolation: Using welding booths or permanent screens keeps the welder separate and stops fumes from reaching other workers.
Administrative Controls and Monitoring
Administrative controls change how and when people work. These help, but they should not be the main solution.
- Job Rotation: Limit how long workers spend on high-fume aluminium welding jobs by switching people around. This prevents one worker from exceeding the 8-hour average limit.
- Mandatory Monitoring: Ultimately, only an Occupational Hygienist can confirm that your controls are working. You must schedule air monitoring in the worker’s breathing zone to scientifically verify that exposure is genuinely below the WES. This is how you prove compliance.
Use the FocusIMS Risk Management Module to log each new control measure, assign an owner, and track its status. This provides an audit trail that proves your commitment to welding and safety in NSW and your adherence to the hierarchy, making your system ready for any auditor.
How to Ensure Personnel Competency and Training
The best engineering controls are useless if your workers don’t know how to use them, or why they matter. Therefore, comprehensive training and competency tracking are mandatory components for effective welding and safety in NSW. A key aspect of managing this is leveraging your digital management system.
Track Training Compliance and Competency
You need a clear record showing that everyone involved in aluminium welding, from the welder to the supervisor, has been told about the new risks. Use the FocusIMS Personnel Management Module to make sure every worker has been trained in three key areas:
- Hazards of Aluminium Fumes: Understanding that the fumes are invisible and linked to chronic health issues.
- The New WES: Knowing the new limit and why controls are now stricter.
- Correct Use of Controls: Proper operation and maintenance of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) and the correct fitting and wearing of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), such as a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR).
Mandate New Procedures (SWMS/JSA)
Ensure all Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA) documents for aluminium welding jobs are updated immediately to reflect the new WES and the corresponding safety steps (e.g., “Must use mobile LEV”). Make these updated instructions easy for field crews to access using the FocusIMS Field Module.
Health Surveillance Records
The Model Code of Practice: Welding Processes states that health surveillance is required when workers are exposed to hazardous substances. You have a duty to monitor the health of workers exposed to aluminium fumes. The Personnel Management Module can help manage and track these sensitive records. Monitoring health and safety in the workplace helps you determine whether the control measures have truly protected your personnel.
How to Maintain Audit Readiness and System Records
For businesses that are ISO 45001 certified or working toward certification, showing you follow the new WES should be easy. A robust management system is needed to link legal changes to your safety actions. This is how you make welding and safety in NSW ready for any audit.
Any over-limit exposure or failure of a control measure must be logged as an incident or non-conformance. This triggers a formal corrective action process, satisfying the requirements of ISO 45001 Clause 10.2 and showing your system can adapt. Also, audits require proof that only the latest, legally correct version of your procedures and policies is being used.
Good document control prevents costly non-conformities. You also must document worker consultation on the new controls, strengthening your safety culture and satisfying ISO 45001 Clause 5.4. The ability to instantly pull a comprehensive report proving that risk assessments, training records, and control implementation are current is the key to maximising the value of your HSEQ system and minimising audit time.
