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RVT Group have developed a 3-step guide to help ensure your business is ready for the WEL change.

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New work exposure limit for diesel particulate matter

Australian workplaces using diesel-powered plant and equipment face a significant change from 1 December 2026, when the new Workplace Exposure Limits for airborne contaminants come into effect.

The change introduces a national Workplace Exposure Limit for diesel particulate matter (DPM) of 0.01 mg/m³, measured as respirable elemental carbon and averaged over an eight-hour working day.

For businesses operating diesel engines indoors, underground or in other enclosed, confined or poorly ventilated areas, this is an important prompt to review existing controls now—not in the final weeks before implementation.

The Risks Associated with Exposure to Diesel Fume

Diesel engine exhaust emissions (DEEEs) are a complex mixture of gases, vapours, aerosols and fine particles. Its composition varies, but is primarily composed of soot, or elemental carbon, together with very small droplets and particles generated through combustion. More than 90 per cent of DPM particles are smaller than one micrometre; to put this into perspective a human red blood cell is 7 micrometres. Because of their extremely small size, they can remain airborne for extended periods of time and ultimately get inhaled deep into the lungs of your unsuspecting workforce.

Short-term exposure can cause irritation to the respiratory system and eyes. It can cause coughing, breathless, and light-headedness.

Over longer periods of time, exposure to DEEEs can seriously affect workers’ quality of life. It can cause chronic respiratory ill health problems and even bladder cancer.

Which Workplaces Could Be Affected?

Any workplace in which diesel exhaust can accumulate should consider its potential exposure risk, but some of the key environments we have identified include: rail maintenance shutdowns, tunnels, basements, warehouses, loading docks, underground infrastructure, water and wastewater facilities, mines, civil construction projects, airports and aircraft hangars.

Safe Work Australia also identifies mining and quarrying, oil and gas, agriculture, transport and logistics, vehicle maintenance and construction as industries where exposure is particularly likely. Common sources include trucks, buses, trains, forklifts, generators, loaders, bulldozers and other mobile or stationary diesel equipment.

The risk is generally greater where engines operate in enclosed or partially enclosed environments and where fumes can build up to due lack of natural ventilation.

What Should Businesses Do Before December?

Under Australian work health and safety requirements, businesses must do more than simply keep exposure beneath a numerical limit. As per the Hierarchy of Control, risks from airborne contaminants must be eliminated or substituted so far as is reasonably practicable, or where this is not possible, engineering controls must be used.

The WEL should not be treated as a boundary between a safe and unsafe environment – any amount of exposure is harmful.

If you are a project manager, or are responsible for health and safety, there are a few actions you can take to ensure you are ready for the change on 1st December:

1. Preparation should begin by identifying every diesel engine operating at the workplace, the tasks performed around it and the people who may be exposed. Particular attention should be given to engine condition, operating duration, simultaneous equipment use, ventilation, exhaust direction and changing site conditions.

2. Now refer to the Hierarchy of Controls. Can you replace diesel equipment with electric or lower-emission alternatives? Can you fit Diesel Particulate Filters to the exhaust (Eg. RVT’s HD90 or M60 Diesel Filter Kit)? Can you implement a local exhaust ventilation system to extract DPM? Or can you install a general ventilation system to displace DEEEs? Remember: All installations should be commissioned by competent specialists.

3. Air monitoring may be required where a business is uncertain whether the new limit could be exceeded or needs to assess the effectiveness of its controls. Safe Work Australia recommends engaging a suitably qualified person, such as an occupational hygienist, where specialist monitoring advice is needed. Monitoring should support effective controls—not replace them.

Does the New DPM WEL Apply Across All Australian States?

Safe Work Australia develops the national model framework, while the Commonwealth, states and territories regulate and enforce workplace health and safety laws. Businesses should therefore confirm the implementation requirements applying in their jurisdiction with the relevant regulator.

Next Step - Contact a Specialist

With the deadline approaching, early assessment gives organisations time to test controls, correct shortcomings and protect workers without disrupting operations. For workplaces relying on diesel-powered equipment, 1 December 2026 should be treated as a compliance deadline—not the starting point for preparation.

RVT Group are specialists in controlling airborne contaminants. For DEEEs we offer a variety of Ventilation, Exhaust fume extraction kits and Diesel Particulate Filter solutions.