--- title: Welding fume regulations are changing in Australia description: Australia's welding fume regulations are tightening. Discover the changes, their implications, and how to ensure workplace compliance. image: https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/Picture1-3.jpg --- [Skip to the main content.](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/welding-fume-regulations-are-changing-in-australia#main-content) [![Blackwoods Expert+](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/BWMA26-0681%20Blackwoods_Expert%20Plus%20(1).jpg?width=2073&height=493&name=BWMA26-0681%20Blackwoods_Expert%20Plus%20(1).jpg "Blackwoods Expert+")](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/expert-plus) [![Blackwoods Expert+](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/BWMA26-0681%20Blackwoods_Expert%20Plus.jpg?width=2073&height=493&name=BWMA26-0681%20Blackwoods_Expert%20Plus.jpg "Blackwoods Expert+")](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/expert-plus) - [Safety](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/safety) - Industries - [Manufacturing](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/manufacturing) - [Utilities](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/utilities) - [Construction](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/construction) - [Mining](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/tag/mining) - Content Types - [Articles](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au) - [Videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfA8meUWjOmhLQKsUGnLOsQ/featured) - [Catalogues](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/catalogues) - [Events](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/tradeshows) Search [Shop Now](https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJKBRVYGEi1kYk6Tr%2FeYuxC38seJfDvw6eoTuOvNyFXrnfbrRzHMycjkDLjD9uDKzBW%2F0rzTTcMAy5MhxouRBWDIHdBEPgdURPs5K8yM3IgUlJVYC0wgLaNPID3rGfSIl%2BZe4I3AOl1nwRrdsN0MD7ScauvzV%2BbOLU6ejZWSYT9Ew%3D%3D&portalId=7298381) Toggle Menu Search Toggle Menu [Shop Now](https://cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/web-interactives/public/v1/track/click?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJKBRVYGEi1kYk6Tr%2FeYuxC38seJfDvw6eoTuOvNyFXrnfbrRzHMycjkDLjD9uDKzBW%2F0rzTTcMAy5MhxouRBWDIHdBEPgdURPs5K8yM3IgUlJVYC0wgLaNPID3rGfSIl%2BZe4I3AOl1nwRrdsN0MD7ScauvzV%2BbOLU6ejZWSYT9Ew%3D%3D&portalId=7298381) - [Safety](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/safety) - Industries - [Manufacturing](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/manufacturing) - [Utilities](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/utilities) - [Construction](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/construction) - [Mining](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/tag/mining) - Content Types - [Articles](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au) - [Videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfA8meUWjOmhLQKsUGnLOsQ/featured) - [Catalogues](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/catalogues) - [Events](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/tradeshows) 2 min read # Welding fume regulations are changing in Australia [![Picture of AWS](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/1519871717954.jpg) AWS](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/author/aws) : 6 October 2026 Welding fume regulations are changing in Australia 4:53 Australia is facing further regulatory tightening around welding fume exposure, and this will require many workplaces to reassess their current welding fume control framework. If your business involves welding, now is the time to understand what’s changing and how it affects you and your employees. The good news is that, with a range of effective fume control options available, keeping workplaces compliant and workers safe can be straightforward. Here we’ll break down the changes, why they matter, and what workplaces need to do to maintain compliance while protecting their team. ### **What are the regulatory changes?** In January 2024, Australia reduced the exposure standard for welding fume by 80%, from an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of 5mg/m3 to 1mg/m3. December 1st 2026 now marks the next major shift in welding fume regulation, as Australia is replacing **Workplace Exposure Standards (WES)** with **Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL)** – a framework more aligned with current global occupational exposure limits. ![WES to WEL](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Picture1-4.jpg?width=600&height=301&name=Picture1-4.jpg) As part of this shift, exposure limits for a number of key metals commonly found in welding fume are decreasing substantially. **Manganese** (found in welding consumables used to weld steels and some aluminium alloys): - **Current WES: 1 mg/m³ (inhalable)** - **New WEL: 0.1 mg/m³ (inhalable) and 0.02 mg/m³ (respirable)** **Cadmium** (present when welding through cadmium-plated materials): - **Current WES: 0.01 mg/m³** - **New WEL: 0.001 mg/m³** **Beryllium** (hardening agent found in copper, magnesium, and aluminium alloys): - **Current WES: 0.002 mg/m³** - **New WEL: 0.00002 mg/m³** - **Current WES: 0.002 mg/m³** - **New WEL: REMOVED** – now classified as a **Non‑Threshold Genotoxic Carcinogen (NTGC)**, meaning it can cause genetic damage and potentially cancer at any level of exposure. **Chromium VI** (may be found in welding fume when arc welding with stainless steel and high Chromium-alloy consumables): Lower exposure limits leave far less room for ineffective or inconsistent welding fume product controls, so many workplaces will need to wholistically reevaluate and potentially tighten their fume management strategy. ### **A new welding fume extraction standard.** As of March 2026, Australia and New Zealand have a new standard for welding fume extraction equipment – **AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series**. These standards measure how the entire assembled unit performs when tested for particle removal efficiency, not just the filter media. This is critical because filter efficiency ratings alone can be misleading if the system leaks welding fume. ![New AS/NZS ISO 21904 Series Standards](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Picture2-3.jpg?width=600&height=301&name=Picture2-3.jpg) To comply with AS/NZS ISO 21904, a fume extractor must demonstrate a minimum 99% filtration efficiency (W3 Class). This means the system has been designed and tested to not just capture welding fume but also deliver highly effective filtration. So when you’re comparing fume extraction options, ensure you look out for AS/NZS ISO 21904 compliance. ### **Selecting a fume extraction solution.** It is an employer’s legal responsibility to reduce welding fume exposure to as low as reasonably practicable for *all* persons, not just the welder. To that end, Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems can capture welding fume at the source, remove it from the environment, and reduce the spread of fume throughout the workshop. [![Nederman On Fun Fume Extraction Kits](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Picture3-4.jpg?width=600&height=301&name=Picture3-4.jpg)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/searchpage#q=nederman%20on-gun&numberOfResults=18) [Nederman On-Gun Fume Extraction](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/searchpage#q=nederman%20on-gun&numberOfResults=18) kits pair powerful single phase Nederman LEV units with Translas guns to remove fume at the source wherever you go. These plug-and-play solutions are energy efficient[\[SD1\]](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/welding-fume-regulations-are-changing-in-australia#_msocom_1) , available with disposable and self-cleaning filters, and most notably, fully comply with the AS/NZS ISO 21904 series standards. [Plymovent Hooded Capture LEV](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/searchpage#q=plymovent%20lev&numberOfResults=18)also meets the AS/NZS ISO 21904 requirements; these systems are highly mobile, easy to manoeuvre for optimal fume capture, and designed to cater for all common welding processes. The Plymovent range also includes single phase extraction units with either disposable or automatic self-cleaning filters, suitable for use in both heavy-duty and light welding fume environments. [![Plymovent Hooded Capture LEV](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Picture4-2.jpg?width=400&height=266&name=Picture4-2.jpg)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/searchpage#q=plymovent%20lev&f-ec_category_level1=Welding%20%26%20Gas&numberOfResults=18) ## Available at Blackwoods - Your safety equipment partner. Blackwoods is proud to offer AWS as part of our commitment to keeping Australian workers safe. As the country’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, we’ve got everything you need to protect your team For additional information on LEV, other fume extraction options including personal powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) welding helmets, on-gun fume extraction and general workshop fume control systems, reach out to Blackwoods’ Technical Welding Specialists [**here**](https://info.blackwoods.com.au/welding-specialists)!   [![04084373-1](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/04084373-1.jpg)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/aws-apex-welding-safety-nederman-860-translas-fps250s-welding-fume-fps180-portable-extraction-system-with-250-amp-on-gun-kit/p/04084356) [**[AWS Nederman Translas with 250 Amp On-Gun Kit](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/aws-apex-welding-safety-nederman-860-translas-fps250s-welding-fume-fps180-portable-extraction-system-with-250-amp-on-gun-kit/p/04084356)**](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/aws-apex-welding-safety-nederman-860-translas-fps250s-welding-fume-fps180-portable-extraction-system-with-250-amp-on-gun-kit/p/04084356) [![04574517](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/04574517.png)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/plymovent-plysc124-lev-mobile-fume-extraction-dual-2-x-4m-arm/p/04574517) [**[Plymovent LEV Mobile Fume Extraction Dual 2 x 4m Arm](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/plymovent-plysc124-lev-mobile-fume-extraction-dual-2-x-4m-arm/p/04574517)**](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/plymovent-plysc124-lev-mobile-fume-extraction-dual-2-x-4m-arm/p/04574517) [![04230913 (1)-1](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/04230913%20(1)-1.jpg)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/apex-welding-safety-plymovent-plydf11-welding-fume-lev-mobile-extraction-system-disposable-1x3m-arm-1ph/p/04230913) [**[AWS Plymovent LEV Mobile Extraction System](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/apex-welding-safety-plymovent-plydf11-welding-fume-lev-mobile-extraction-system-disposable-1x3m-arm-1ph/p/04230913)**](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/welding-gas/fume-extraction/fume-extraction-carts/apex-welding-safety-plymovent-plydf11-welding-fume-lev-mobile-extraction-system-disposable-1x3m-arm-1ph/p/04230913) [SHOP AWS](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/aws/b/559835) [![AWS](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/aws.jpg?width=189&height=189&name=aws.jpg)](https://www.blackwoods.com.au/aws/b/559835) [Safety](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/tag/safety) [Fabrication](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/tag/fabrication) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## **Read related articles** [![Nederman GoMax captures welding fume at the source](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hubfs/EOFY%20AWS%20(1).jpg)](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/nederman-gomax-captures-welding-fume-at-the-source) #### [Nederman GoMax captures welding fume at the source](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/nederman-gomax-captures-welding-fume-at-the-source) ![Picture of AWS](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/1519871717954.jpg?width=30&name=1519871717954.jpg) [AWS](https://blog.blackwoods.com.au/author/aws) : 6 May 2026 Engineering controls, such as fume extraction systems, can be instrumental in reducing welding fume exposure for not only the welder, but also for... 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