NOHSC declares amendments to workplace atmospheric contaminants exposure standards
The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) has declared amendments to the adopted national exposure standards for atmospheric contaminants in the occupational environment (Source A Updates Batch 3) 2003. Notification of the amendments appears in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette of 18th June 2003 and the Commonwealth Chemical Gazette of 1st July 2003.
These amendments update the national exposure standards maintained by NOHSC by:
- replacing existing standards for several substances – dimethylamine, ethyl acetate, ethylamine, (2-methoxymethylethoxy) propanol, pentyl acetate isomers (namely n-amyl acetate, sec-amyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate); and
- adding a standard for one substance – 1-methoxy-2-propanol acetate.
The amendments align Australian limits for these substances with UK limits.
Background
NOHSC has had a formal program for reviewing and updating the national exposure standards since March 1999 that includes aligning NOHSC exposure standards with the UK Health and Safety Executive’s occupational exposure limits as far as practicable. Where UK limits are lower than Australia’s national standards (or where there is no Australian national standard), information from the Health and Safety Executive is used to determine whether to align Australian standards with the UK limits. These reviews are usually carried out in batches of 10 to 15 substances.
Further background and details about the updates, including a link to the amendment instrument, are available at Batch 3 updates - National hazardous substances regulatory package (2003).
4 July 2003
Page last updated: 06/07/2008