Product Overview

Summary: This Air Quality Management Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, practical framework for monitoring, controlling and improving air quality in Australian workplaces. It helps organisations identify airborne hazards, implement effective controls, and demonstrate compliance with WHS duties for worker health and environmental performance.

Poor air quality is one of the most underestimated risks in Australian workplaces, contributing to respiratory illness, reduced productivity, and long‑term occupational disease. This Air Quality Management Safe Operating Procedure sets out a structured, repeatable approach for identifying airborne contaminants, assessing exposure risks, and implementing engineering, administrative and PPE controls. It is designed to be practical across a wide range of environments, including manufacturing, workshops, laboratories, construction sites, warehouses and commercial buildings.

The SOP guides your team through baseline air quality assessments, routine monitoring, ventilation checks, control of dusts, fumes and vapours, and response actions when trigger levels are exceeded. It supports compliance with WHS legislation and relevant Australian Standards by clarifying roles and responsibilities, specifying minimum monitoring frequencies, and detailing how to respond to complaints, odours or visible emissions. By adopting this procedure, businesses can reduce the risk of occupational asthma, silicosis and other respiratory conditions, improve worker comfort and retention, and provide documented evidence of due diligence during audits, regulator inspections or insurance reviews.

Key Benefits

• Ensure consistent identification, monitoring and control of airborne contaminants across all work areas.
• Reduce the risk of respiratory illness, long‑term occupational disease and air‑quality‑related complaints.
• Demonstrate compliance with WHS legislation, Australian Standards and regulator expectations for air quality.
• Standardise responses to air quality incidents, alarms and worker concerns, minimising downtime and confusion.
• Support informed investment in ventilation, extraction and filtration systems through structured data collection.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Facility Managers
• Operations Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Environmental Advisors
• Maintenance Managers
• Laboratory Managers
• Manufacturing and Production Managers
• Construction Project Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust from cutting, grinding or drilling materials
• Inhalation of welding fumes, metal fumes and combustion products
• Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paints, solvents, adhesives and cleaning agents
• Build‑up of diesel exhaust and engine emissions in workshops, tunnels or enclosed spaces
• Mould spores and biological contaminants in HVAC and poorly ventilated areas
• Carbon monoxide and other asphyxiant gases in confined or poorly ventilated spaces
• Nuisance dusts causing irritation to eyes, nose and throat
• Insufficient oxygen levels due to displacement by other gases
• Odours and irritants leading to headaches, nausea and reduced concentration

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Guidance
• 5.0 Air Quality Risk Assessment Methodology
• 6.0 Types of Airborne Contaminants and Health Effects
• 7.0 Air Monitoring and Measurement Requirements
• 8.0 Ventilation, Extraction and Engineering Controls
• 9.0 Administrative Controls and Work Practices
• 10.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 11.0 Trigger Levels, Alarms and Response Actions
• 12.0 Management of Complaints, Odours and Worker Reports
• 13.0 Confined Spaces and High‑Risk Areas – Additional Controls
• 14.0 Housekeeping, Cleaning and Maintenance of Control Systems
• 15.0 Emergency Procedures for Air Quality Incidents
• 16.0 Training, Competency and Communication
• 17.0 Recordkeeping, Reporting and Data Management
• 18.0 Inspection, Audit and Continuous Improvement
• 19.0 Document Control and Review

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) – Hazardous chemicals and airborne contaminants
• Safe Work Australia – Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Confined Spaces
• AS 1668.2: The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings – Mechanical ventilation in buildings
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 1716: Respiratory protective devices
• AS 3666 (series): Air-handling and water systems of buildings – Microbial control