New chief inspector of construction at HSE

E123:05 20 September 2005

Stephen Williams, today, starts his appointment as Chief Inspector of Construction at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Williams said:

"I am delighted to be taking on this position at such a challenging time for the industry. The world will be focusing on our safety record during the construction of the 2012 Olympic sites and the revised Construction Design Management (CDM) regulations will mean new ways of working."

"My aim is to see an industry that gets health and safety right first time, right from the start, and with the right people involved. It is only by the industry showing leadership, working in partnership and taking ownership of the management of risk that improvements will be made. I look forward to working with the industry to achieve the challenging targets it agreed at the Construction Summit." .

Mr Williams was previously head of HSE's Railway Policy Division, based in London.

Notes to editors

1. Stephen Williams takes over from Kevin Myers who has taken up post as Director of Hazardous Installations Directorate in HSE's Bootle headquarters.

2. Mr Williams, is 51 and has three children, and lives in Dorking, Surrey. He joined HSE as a front line inspector in 1977, inspecting a number of industries including construction. He has held a range of posts within HSE and in central government, advising Ministers on health and safety policy. Most recently he has been involved in overseeing or supporting a number of change programmes in HSE rail including the removal of slam door trains from the railway network and the policy relating to the introduction of the train protection warning system (TPWS).

In 1993, he was responsible for developing and maintaining the regulatory framework for the construction industry, including the implementation of the Temporary or Mobile Worksites Directive, which was implemented by the CDM regulations.

3. The Construction Health and Safety Summit 2005 was one part of the process to ensure that the construction industry takes the action it needs to in order to meet its Revitalising targets in 2009/10. The Summit aimed to provide an opportunity for the construction industry to review its progress on the commitments given in 2001 and commit to further action.

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