New WA workplace exposure limits start 1 December: what hairdressers must review

Abby's take

What this means for the industry — and for independents

Industry impact. WorkSafe WA says the new workplace exposure limits apply to every WA workplace where workers may be exposed to dusts, fumes, gases or vapours. The transition updates limits for a range of hazardous chemicals and strengthens the case for evidence-based controls rather than relying on smell or visible irritation.

For freelancers. A sole trader can be a person conducting a business or undertaking under WA work health and safety law. In a shared salon, more than one business may hold duties at the same time, so renting a chair does not automatically transfer every chemical, ventilation or worker-safety responsibility to the host.

What I'd do next

• List every colour, lightener, smoothing product, aerosol, adhesive, cleaner and other chemical used or stored, then identify which products are classified as hazardous from the label and current safety data sheet.
• Use WorkSafe WA and Safe Work Australia’s Hazardous Chemical Information System to check whether ingredients in those products have a workplace exposure limit and whether the limit changes on 1 December.
• Review exposure controls in the correct order, including substitution, isolation, local or general ventilation, work method and personal protective equipment, rather than relying on PPE alone.
• Document which business controls the premises, ventilation, chemical storage, worker instruction and incident response, and consult other businesses or workers sharing the same exposure.

Watch-out. This article explains the WA transition using WorkSafe WA material current on 4 October 2026. It does not identify a specific exposure limit for any product. Product formulations, classifications and work methods differ, so use current safety data sheets and obtain competent WHS or occupational-hygiene advice where exposure may occur.

The 1 December change is already a preparation job

WorkSafe WA says workplaces must continue complying with the current workplace exposure standards until 1 December 2026. From that date, the new workplace exposure limits apply, including updated limits for a range of hazardous chemicals and airborne contaminants.

The regulator’s transition page tells workplaces to review inventories, identify affected substances, assess controls, update risk assessments and procedures, consult workers and consider air or health monitoring. Waiting until December to ask what products are on site leaves no time to close a real control gap.

Why independent hairdressers are included

WA guidance defines a person conducting a business or undertaking broadly enough to include sole traders and self-employed people. WorkSafe also says the new limits apply to all WA workplaces where airborne contaminants may be present, not only the industries named as likely to be most affected.

Colour mixing, aerosol use, smoothing treatments, cleaning and other tasks can produce vapours, mists or dusts depending on the product and process. This article does not claim a particular salon product exceeds a limit; it explains why the inventory and safety data sheet must answer that question.

Strengthen colour records around each service · Review the colourist workspace and storage flow

Build the register before choosing controls

WorkSafe WA says a hazardous-chemicals register records hazardous chemicals used, handled or stored at the workplace and includes the current safety data sheet for each one. It must be up to date and readily accessible to workers and people likely to be affected.

Walk shelf by shelf and cupboard by cupboard. Record the exact product and supplier, obtain the latest SDS, remove duplicates and obsolete stock, and flag any decanted container with unclear labelling. The label and SDS—not the marketing description—show whether the product is classified as hazardous.

Translate the SDS into the way hair work is done

An SDS explains ingredients, hazards, safe handling, storage, emergencies and disposal. It does not know whether a stylist mixes beside a client, sprays in a small room, repeats the task eight times or works next to another independent using a different product.

Map each flagged chemical to the task, quantity, duration, frequency, room, ventilation and people nearby. Check the official limit in the Hazardous Chemical Information System, then decide whether the risk assessment or control needs to change.

Ventilation and substitution come before habit

WorkSafe’s transition guidance lists substitution, isolation, ventilation, engineering controls and personal protective equipment among the controls to review. A familiar product, open door or disposable mask is not evidence that exposure is controlled.

Ask whether a less hazardous product can achieve the result, whether mixing can be isolated, whether extraction or general ventilation is effective where the work happens and whether the specified PPE is suitable, fitted and used correctly. If the answer depends on measurement, engage competent help rather than guessing.

Check where WHS controls meet insurance conditions

Shared space means shared coordination, not no responsibility

WorkSafe WA notes that more than one PCBU can have obligations in the same workplace. The host may control the building and ventilation; an independent stylist may select, bring and use products; another business may expose people through a nearby process.

Write down who supplies SDSs, maintains the register, approves new chemicals, checks ventilation, trains an assistant, handles spills and escalates symptoms or incidents. Each business should understand its own duties and consult, cooperate and coordinate where responsibilities overlap.

Separate personal kit from shared workspace systems

Common questions