Standards Australia has released two new Respiratory Protection Transition Documents designed to support Australia and New Zealand as they move from the AS/NZS 1715/1716 standards to the AS/NZS ISO suite of respiratory protection standards. The AS/NZS 1715/1716 standards are scheduled to be fully superseded in 2030, at which point the AS/NZS ISO suite will become the sole respiratory protection framework for both countries.
All transition resources—including these two new documents—are available on the Standards Australia Flagship Project: Respiratory Protection Standards page, the central hub for updates, guidance, and tools related to the standards transition.
Document 1: Workplace Guidance – Download
The first document is aimed at workplaces and provides a clause‑by‑clause comparison between AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS TS ISO 16975.1/16975.2. It demonstrates that the core principles of respirator selection, use, and maintenance remain consistent across both standards, and that selection considerations have not changed.
Document 2: Technical Guidance for Manufacturers, Accreditation Bodies and Test Laboratories – Download
The second document is intended for respirator manufacturers, test laboratories, and accreditation bodies. It offers an overview of the various test standards, key respirator performance requirements, and the corresponding AS/NZS ISO sections.
RESP-FIT Online Respirator Selector – Visit
In early 2026, RESP‑FIT launched its free Online Respirator Selector, based on the AS/NZS TS ISO 16975.1 Example Selection Record Form. The tool provides respirator recommendations from both AS/NZS ISO and AS/NZS 1715/1716 classifications and includes an equivalence table to help workplaces and industries navigate the transition over the coming years.
