National standards on welding fumes have been tightened. 

Work Health and Safety Ministers across Australia have unanimously agreed to a stringent reduction in the workplace exposure standard (WES) for welding fumes. 

The decision should help safeguard workers from the hazardous health effects linked to welding activities.

Effective immediately, the revised WES for welding fumes, previously set at an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 5 mg/m³, has been dramatically reduced to 1 mg/m³. 

This revision is not just a guideline but will become mandatory once incorporated into the Work Health and Safety (WHS) and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws across the Commonwealth, states, and territories.

Welding fumes, a complex mixture of potentially hazardous chemicals, have been a longstanding concern due to their association with serious occupational lung diseases, including lung cancer. 

Under the model WHS laws, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) - typically employers - are mandated to eliminate or minimise risks to worker health and safety as much as reasonably practicable. This includes taking necessary precautions to prevent exposure to chemical hazards such as welding fumes. 

Furthermore, PCBUs are required to ensure that workers are not exposed to airborne contaminants above the concentrations outlined in the WES for airborne contaminants.

To assist in compliance and ensure the health and safety of workers, the model Code of Practice: Welding Processes provides comprehensive guidance on managing risks associated with welding, including exposure to fumes.