Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the government would appoint a specialist magistrate to handle matters such as workplace accidents and deaths.

The announcement follows four workplace deaths in Canberra since December and the launch of an inquiry into workplace health and safety.

The latest worker to die, 21-year-old concreter Ben Catanzariti, was working at a Kingston Foreshore construction site on the morning of July 21 when he was struck by a 39m boom and died at the scene.

The building union welcomed the proposal to appoint an industrial magistrate, saying the move would lead to courts taking a stronger stance on workplace safety matters.

An existing magistrate would be appointed to the role, meaning the ACT government would not have to provide any extra funding to establish the new jurisdiction.

Mr Corbell said the plan would develop expertise in workplace health and safety law and improve the ACT's understanding of issues that arose in this area.

''We have seen an unacceptable rate of deaths in workplaces in the ACT. I think we need to lift the focus when it comes to occupational health and safety matters and having a magistrate with a dedicated function will allow for the development of experience and expertise in this area.''

The ACT and Tasmania are the only jurisdictions that do not have specialist arrangements in place for work safety matters that come before the Magistrates Court.

The ACT Magistrates Court currently hears civil cases involving claims of up to $250,000 and can deal with some criminal offences.

The ACT Supreme Court handles criminal matters involving harm to a person where the maximum penalty is over 10 years' imprisonment.

Mr Corbell said the proposed Industrial Magistrates Court could be based on the model used for the Children's Court, where a designated magistrate is appointed by the Chief Magistrate.

He said the Supreme Court would continue to hear more serious matters and there was no proposal to change its role.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union said unions had been calling for a dedicated industrial magistrate for ''a decade''.

ACT branch secretary Dean Hall said the ACT court system currently dealt ''very lightly'' with employers that breached workplace safety laws.

Mr Hall said that could change with an industrial magistrate who developed specialised case knowledge.

''It's about getting a consistent and clear message so that when people are before the court it stops them from doing it [breaching safety laws],'' he said.

''And having learnt that lesson we then avoid those situations where a bridge comes down or a building comes down.''

Former public service commissioner Lynelle Briggs is leading a major inquiry into health and safety laws on Canberra's building sites. The inquiry panel will report its findings and recommendations to the Attorney-General by November 16.

Mr Corbell said there would be consultation before the ACT government decided on the exact model for an Industrial Magistrates Court.