The ACT has established a court specifically to hear workplace health and safety matter, this week appointing Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker as its first industrial magistrate.

The changes are part of a larger movement to try to reduce workplace incidents. A recent report on safety in ACT’s construction industry said changes must be made to try and stem the flow of injuries.

The creation of an Industrial Magistrates Court was one of the central recommendations in the 2011 Inquiry into Compliance with Work Health and Safety Requirements in the ACT’s Construction Industry.

ACT’s new Industrial Court will host legal proceedings relating to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Workers Compensation Act 1951, Scaffolding and Lifts Act 1912, Dangerous Substances Act 2004, and the Machinery Act 1949.

“This new court will promote greater consistency in decision-making and the application of appropriate penalties by the court generating greater confidence in the process across industry,” said ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell