WorkSafe Commissioner

Role of the regulator

The WorkSafe Commissioner is the regulator under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2020. The Commissioner is responsible to the Minister for Industrial Relations for the administration of the WHS Act, and any other laws relating to work health and safety administered by the Minister. 

Darren Kavanagh is the current WorkSafe Commissioner.

Functions of the regulator

The regulator has a broad range of functions, including:

• monitoring and enforcing compliance with the WHS Act (and regulations)
• providing advice and information on work health and safety to duty holders and the community
• collecting, analysing and publishing statistics relating to work health and safety
• fostering a cooperative, consultative relationship between duty holders and the people to whom they owe work health and safety duties, and their representatives
• promoting and supporting education and training on matters relating to work health and safety
• engaging in, promoting and coordinating the sharing of information to achieve the object of the WHS Act, including the sharing of information with other work health and safety regulators
• conducting and defending legal proceedings under the WHS Act.