Outstanding safety achievement award

Winner

Kevin Myers, Health and Safety Executive

Kevin Myers has been working at the Health and Safety Executive for nearly three decades, including stints in offshore safety and energy departments, a couple of years in Brussels, and setting up a Chemical and Hazardous Installations division in the late 1990s. Kevin became chief inspector for construction at the turn of the millennium – and under his leadership, health and safety concerns within the industry have shot up the agenda. A key moment was the Health and Safety summit in February 2001 – in fact it was he who advised John Prescott what kind of summit it should be. And Kevin was instrumental in setting out the challenge to the industry to improve its safety record, which resulted in countless interested parties coming forward with action plans and solutions. The Working Well Together campaign has been developed and stimulated under his leadership, and under his chairmanship of the Construction Industry Advisory Committee, he has driven many safety initiatives. These include the campaign to help the industry meet its Revitalising Health and Safety targets in order to reduce site fatalities, and spearheading the drive to improve occupational health – which, because of his commitment, is now becoming a reality. Kevin is leaving his post at the end of the month to return to his hazardous installations department as its new director – construction’s loss is no doubt hazardous installations’ gain.

Kevin was instrumental in setting out the challenge to the industry to improve its health and safety record