2025 brought tighter work health and safety (WHS) requirements for construction, particularly for silica, welding fumes and noise. Many projects responded with more proactive monitoring and hazard controls to manage on-site risks and meet their construction compliance requirements.

October is National Safe Work Month. The Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) list replaces the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) on 1 December 2026, so worker health and safety remains a central focus for the construction industry.

This article covers:

• the changes that took effect in 2025
• where things stand in 2026, as at 15 October 2026
• what to do before the WEL list starts

It focuses on WHS and environmental hazard compliance. Building code compliance under the National Construction Code, permits and approvals are outside its scope.

Key 2025 regulatory changes

Silica dust regulations

Silica controls tightened across all industries in 2024, including construction, demolition, civil works and tunnelling. Amendments to the model WHS Regulations commenced on 1 September 2024 (see our silica regulation update). They cover work with materials containing at least 1% crystalline silica and require:

• controlled processing of all crystalline silica substances (CSS)
• a risk assessment for work that processes them
• additional duties, including a silica risk control plan, where processing is assessed as high risk

The changes take effect in each state or territory once that jurisdiction implements them in its WHS laws.

In NSW, the Government’s Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce continued this focus into 2025, looking at silica risks in tunnelling (read about the silica taskforce).

On 1 October 2025, NSW introduced a mandatory Silica Worker Register. PCBUs must register each worker who carries out high-risk processing of CSS within 28 days of them starting that work. Failing to provide the information is a penalty notice offence. NSW has since remade its WHS Regulation as the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025.

Other key trends included:

• Silica risk control plans for high-risk processing, setting out controls, monitoring and training
• Controlled processing requirements for all crystalline silica substances, not just engineered stone
• Air monitoring, and health monitoring for at-risk workers doing high-risk processing 
• More documentation and record keeping, including the NSW register

Control Hire’s in-house occupational hygienists and engineers prepare silica risk control plans, and our dust and silica monitors can support your air monitoring program.

Welding and toxic fume standards

In January 2024, WHS ministers agreed to reduce the workplace exposure standard (WES) for welding fumes (not otherwise classified) from an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 5 mg/m³ to 1 mg/m³. In November 2025, the WES for aluminium welding fumes was also reduced to 1 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA), in line with general welding fumes. 

Key points for construction sites:

• The reduced standard protects anyone exposed to welding fumes, not just the welder.
• Individual components of welding fume, such as metals, have their own exposure standards. These apply as well as the limit for total welding fume.
• Air monitoring is required if you’re uncertain whether anyone could be exposed above a relevant standard.

With a range of fume and ventilation control solutions, Control Hire can help you put engineering controls in place for welding work. For more detail, read our guide to welding fume exposure limits.

Noise controls

Since 29 July 2025, PCBUs in Queensland must provide audiometric testing for workers who are required to wear hearing protection because noise exceeds the exposure standard. Providing hearing protection alone doesn’t trigger the requirement.

Key shifts included:

• Testing within 3 months of a worker starting the relevant work, then at least every two years.
• For workers already doing that work before 29 July 2025, a first test before 29 July 2027. 
• Testing in line with AS/NZS 1269.4:2014.
• Financial penalties of up to 60 penalty units for non-compliance.

Control Hire provides noise and vibration management plans and a range of noise control solutions to help reduce noise at the source.

2026: where things stand and what’s next

As at 15 October 2026, these are the developments construction teams should be preparing for.

New Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) take effect

In April 2024, WHS ministers agreed to replace the WES for airborne contaminants with the Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) list, with a harmonised transition across Australia. The WES list applies until 30 November 2026. The WEL list applies from 1 December 2026, following implementation in each jurisdiction’s WHS laws. Victoria adopts exposure standards through its own OHS Regulations and has proposed adopting the WEL list from the same date.

Beyond a simple rebranding, the WEL list changes some limits, adds some substances and removes others. 33 non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens, including chromium VI compounds, will no longer have exposure limits. Where they are present, they must be eliminated or minimised so far as is reasonably practicable. 

One thing isn’t changing on 1 December. In June 2026, ministers did not reach a majority to support new limits for nine chemicals, including respirable crystalline silica (RCS), and requested further work. Those nine chemicals keep their current WES levels when the WEL list starts, so RCS remains at 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA).

As the transition date approaches, review your exposure control plans for silica, dust, diesel, fumes and chemical mists. Check whether your current controls and monitoring will meet the WEL list. Our occupational hygienists and engineers can help you work through what has changed for your site.

Continued enforcement focus on airborne hazards 

Airborne contaminants, including respirable crystalline silica, stayed a focus through 2025 and 2026. With the WEL list adding new limits and lowering others, some substances that were less heavily monitored may now need closer attention.

Noise and vibration remain part of the picture. If your project has EPA or council noise conditions, check which class of sound level meter they specify. Our guide to Class 1 noise monitoring explains the difference.

Dust, fume and airborne contaminant management should stay a priority. Depending on the substances involved, the WEL changes may call for:

• stronger engineering controls
• checks that ventilation is working
• periodic air monitoring
• health monitoring where required

For demolition, piling and excavation, vibration monitors provide continuous data against your project’s vibration criteria.

Rising importance of monitoring, reporting, and digital compliance tools

Changing limits and closer attention to airborne contaminants are pushing more projects towards real-time monitoring, traceable data and transparent reporting. Real-time monitors help confirm that controls are working between sampling rounds. They don’t replace personal exposure monitoring, which measures a worker’s exposure in their breathing zone. 

The construction industry is also adopting technology-driven tools, including:

• continuous dust and silica monitors
• cloud-based dashboards
• automatically generated reports
• digital WHS documentation

These tools help project teams, principal contractors and subcontractors keep evidence ready for client audits and inspector visits. 

Organisations that set up real-time monitoring and digital control plans now will be better placed for the WEL changes, and for tenders that ask for monitoring data. 

Checklist before 1 December 2026

• Check Safe Work Australia’s WES to WEL comparison for every substance your work generates, including diesel exhaust, cement and other dusts, and welding fume components.
• Identify any non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens on site, and plan to eliminate or minimise them.
• Review silica risk control plans and air monitoring programs. RCS stays at 0.05 mg/m³ for now.
• In NSW, make sure workers doing high-risk silica processing are on the Silica Worker Register.
• In Queensland, book first audiometric tests for existing workers before 29 July 2027.
• Talk to workers and health and safety representatives about any changes to controls.

How Control Hire is supporting construction compliance in 2026 and beyond

As exposure limits change and monitoring expectations grow, construction and infrastructure teams need traceable systems they can rely on. Control Hire supports contractors, engineers, WHS managers and environmental consultants with: 

• Risk control plans: Silica risk control plans prepared by our in-house occupational hygienists and engineers. We also prepare dust and air quality management plans and noise and vibration management plans. 
• Real-time environmental monitoring: Monitors for dust and silica, noise, vibration and gas, with live data and exceedance alerts on supported systems. 
• Reporting: Monitoring data and reports to help your team respond to client audits and inspector visits. 
• Installation, maintenance and support: We supply, install and maintain the equipment we hire throughout the project, so you can focus on getting the job done. 

Prepare for 1 December 2026 with confidence. Get in touch to request a review of your control plans from one of our occupational hygienists or engineers, or request a quote.