Building and construction work continues to be high risk, ranking in the top four industries for workplace fatalities and serious injuries. The Federal Safety Commissioner (FSC) is one of a range of statutory roles, agencies and regulators which play a role in ensuring building and construction workplaces are safe and workers get home safely.

In May 2023, the Australian Government announced an independent review of the Federal Safety Commissioner, to be led by Marie Boland. The review presents an opportunity for stakeholders to have their say on the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme, and also identify areas where improvements could be made. This discussion paper has been developed to inform a public consultation process.

A consultation summary will be collated by 31 August 2023 identifying common themes and issues raised in submissions and conversations with the reviewer and it will be released publicly in September 2023. There will be an opportunity to respond to the consultation summary prior to the completion of the final report of the review. The review will be finalised by the end of 2023.