Chemical Management

8. Health monitoring and exposure standards (applicable to hazardous substances)

The use of some hazardous substances, and processes such as welding and sanding, can produce airborne contaminants that can negatively affect a person’s health. Airborne contaminants can include fumes, dusts, mists and vapours.

Some of these contaminants have exposure standards that cannot be exceeded. There is a higher likelihood that airborne contaminants will be produced in schools that have a trade or agricultural focus and provide automotive, metal work or horticulture as part of the curriculum. Facilities managers may also be at risk of exposure.

The principal or their delegate must ensure that school staff are not exposed to atmospheric concentrations of hazardous substances that are above the exposure standard. The use of mechanical ventilation alongside PPE can reduce the likelihood of exposure, for example:

• extraction fans
• fume hoods
• dangerous goods storage cabinets
• air filtration systems.

Eliminating the process or use of the product or finding safer alternatives should always be the goal. If there is uncertainty as to whether the exposure standard is or may be exceeded, atmospheric monitoring is required to determine whether there is a health risk.

Further information on exposure standards is available from WorkSafe Victoria. The SafeWork Australia Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (2025) page has a complete list of all the hazardous substances that have an exposure standard, which applies in Victoria. Other Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws referenced in this document do not apply in Victoria.

For further advice contact the department’s Statewide OHS Services Team or the OHS Advisory Service.