The Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry concluded that it examined no more important subject than occupational health and safety (OHS), and found that the safety record for the industry was unacceptable. It recommended that the Australian Government use its influence as a client and provider of capital to foster improved OHS performance.
The Australian Government agreed to implement the majority of the Royal Commission’s OHS recommendations, including establishing the Federal Safety Commissioner (FSC) to develop, implement and administer an OHS accreditation scheme for Australian Government building and construction work.
In June 2004 the Hon Kevin Andrews MP, then Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, announced that the FSC would be administratively established within the then Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The FSC and the Scheme are provided for under the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005, which received Royal Assent on 12 September 2005.