New Year’s Honours recognise health and safety champions

In particular the British Safety Council welcomed the recognition of those individuals who have made a significant contribution to keeping people healthy and safe at work. Alex Botha, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, in welcoming the awards said: "The 2014 New Year Honours recognise those many hundreds of people from all walks of life who have helped make a difference.

The individuals upon whom awards have been bestowed have all made a contribution to improving a particular aspect of our lives. It is important that society recognises and celebrates their respective contributions. "The British Safety Council is particularly pleased that individuals who have helped keep people healthy and safe in the workplace are recognised in the New Year Honours.

While health and safety has, unfairly, attracted unjust criticism in recent years we must not forget that the sensible and proportionate management of workplaces helps keep us healthy and safe.

Many people are alive and healthy today thanks to the contribution of Honours recipients and thousands of others who together play an important part in preventing injury and ill health in the workplace. "We would like particularly to congratulate Graham Jukes, the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and Pam Waldron, formerly HSE’s Head of Operations in Yorkshire & Humberside on their OBE awards.

Congratulations too to Louise Brearey, Head of the London 2012 Games Team at HSE and to Christopher Seddon, Director of our member organisation the Seddon Group Ltd on their awards of the MBE for their services to health and safety and young people. "We are pleased too to recognise the contribution of Geoff Hooke, formerly Chief Executive of the British Safety Industry Federation and Paul Webster of HSE who were both awarded the British Empire Medal. "Our congratulations to all of the recipients of honours.”