31 March 2004 - Appointments to the Health and Safety Commission
Margaret Burns and Hugh Robertson have been appointed to the Health and Safety Commission.
Following an open appointment exercise Margaret Burns, Teaching Fellow at the University of Aberdeen Law Faculty and member of the Health and Safety Commission, has been reappointed as Commissioner representing public interest concerns.
Hugh Robertson, Senior Health and Safety Officer at the TUC, has been appointed as Commissioner representing employees concerns. Both posts commence tomorrow 1 April 2004 and have terms of office for three years.
These appointments come at an important time for the Health and Safety Commission. Following the successful launch of the new strategy, the Commissioners will be playing a pivotal role in moving forward HSC’s new strategic direction, key parts of which include; -
- Working with and through others including Local Authorities in strategic partnerships.
- Rising to the challenge of occupational health.
- Understanding and promoting the benefits of health and safety.
- Communicating effectively and providing appropriate and accessible information and advice.
- Delivering an effective interventions strategy based on evidence, by focusing on those that has the greatest impact.
Further information on the new strategy can be found on: http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/hsc/strategy.htm
Notes for editors
- Margaret Burns has taught at the law faculties of Glasgow and Dundee Universities and in the Open University. She is presently a teaching fellow in the law department of Aberdeen University. She has extensive experience of working with consumer organisations. She has served on the Health and Safety Commission since 1998 and was awarded the CBE in 2003 for services to the Commission. Her strong experience in devolved administration, rail safety and representation of public interest concerns of consumers has demonstrated her ability to fully represent public interest concerns on the Commission. She holds one other ministerial appointment as board member of NHS Grampian Health Board from 2003.
- Hugh Robertson worked for the public services trade union UNISON, and its predecessor Nalgo from 1981 until the end of 2003, firstly as National Officer for Local Government and later as Head of Health and Safety and Bargaining Support. Since January 2004 he has served as Senior Policy Officer on Health and Safety at the TUC. His union experience in health and safety and negotiating has given him experience of workers’ health and safety concerns. He served from 1990 to 1993 as a Lay Magistrate. He holds one other ministerial appointment as a member of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee.
- Health and Safety Commission (HSC) members currently receive an annual salary of £15,000. Commissioners are committed to 25 to 30 days per annum on Commission business, which includes time for, monthly and quarterly Commission meeting, and public presentations and ambassadorial roles.
- The HSC is an independent body set up under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Its operational arm, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is a separate statutory body. The 2003 review of the roles and responsibilities of the Commission has led to the Commissioners adopting the role of non-executive directors for the HSE.
- The overall purpose of the HSC and HSE is to ensure risks to peoples’ health and safety from work activities are properly controlled. The Commission provides advice and information to Ministers and others on health and safety matters, and proposes new legislation after consultation with interested parties.
- Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 the HSC has to consist of a chairman and not less than six or more than nine members. For three of those members the Secretary of State has to consult organisations representing employers; for three others he has to consult organisations representing employees; and for any others he has to consult organisations representing local authorities and other organisations concerned with health and safety.
- A selection panel consisting of three members (one representing the Department, one representing HSC and an independent assessor) was set up to consider other applications and to advise Ministers on the new appointment. The selection was made on merit after consideration of the candidates’ abilities, experience and qualities in relation to the needs of the Commission.
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