HSE board member honoured with lifetime achievement award

Date:

22 October 2009

Release No:

91/2009

The Health and Safety Executive's longest serving board member, Judith Donovan, has been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The agriculture and small business champion, who is in the final year of her maximum 10-year term with HSE, has been honoured by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) for her work in these areas.

Judith, already a CBE, has also been commended for her commitment to driving up standards in workplace health and safety at every opportunity.

Judith is in distinguished company, with the first ever award in 1999 presented to Lord Walker of Doncaster in recognition of his role in the passing of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Judith founded her own advertising agency in 1982 before selling the multi-million pound business in 2000 and embarking on a full-time career in public service, specialising in small firms, rural affairs, regeneration and postal matters.

Her roles within HSE have involved building a successful Trade Association Forum with more than 50 members, establishing and representing the HSE board on the Better Regulation Challenge Panel and producing a new strategy for the agriculture sector.

On receiving the IOSH/Sypol Lifetime Achievement award, Judith said: "It's a tremendous honour which I'm thrilled to be able to accept. When I look at the list of previous winners, it really brings it home what a massive award this. To be mentioned in the same breath as Nancy Tait, Sir Julian Peto and Lords Walker and Cullen is simply amazing.

In her acceptance speech Judith demonstrated her continued commitment to business. She outlined her intention to top up the £3000 bursary which came with her award with £2000 of her own money to create a £1000 year award, over five years, for the best health and safety idea from a small or medium sized firm.

"While my career has not been in health and safety, I've always been a strong believer and advocate of the view that health and safety is an essential part of business. People are the most important asset for any business - keeping them safe and well is absolutely critical to be profitable.

"I urge all businesses and stakeholders to get behind HSE's new strategy and to sign up to our Pledge agreeing to take a proportionate, commonsense approach to health and safety. Promoting health and safety is not just a job for HSE - it's a job for all industry."

President of IOSH, Nattasha Freeman, said: "Judith Donovan has made a massive difference to health and safety in this country. She is the embodiment of a good leader who has made sure that the voices of SMEs in this country are heard. It's through her work that the HSE began to develop a coherent small business strategy that led to the foundation of the Small Business Trade Association Forum, which today provides a means of consulting with nearly a million small businesses."

Notes to editors

1. IOSH is the world's biggest body for health and safety professionals. It has over 35,000 members worldwide, including 13,000 Chartered Safety and Health Practitioners.The Institution was founded in 1945 and is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that sets professional standards, supports and develops members and provides authoritative advice and guidance on health and safety issues. For more information visit Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
2. The IOSH/Sypol Lifetime Achievement Award honours individuals who have furthered the status and practice of occupational health and safety, leading to substantial improvements in the health and safety of working people. The award has previously been won by Lord Walker of Doncaster, Professor Sir Julian Peto, George Brumwell, Nancy Tait MBE, Michael Clapham MP and last year's winner was Professor Peter McKie CBE. The recipient receives a glass trophy and a bursary to spend as the winner sees appropriate to further health and safety.
3. HSE's mission is to prevent death, injury and ill health in Britain's workplaces. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
4. The new strategy 'The Health and Safety of Great Britain: Be part of the solution' was launched in June 2009, designed to reduce the number of workplace accidents and take a common sense approach to ensuring that risk management is an enabler for business not a burden. It can be viewed at The health and safety of Great Britain - HSE's strategy

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