Two new appointments to the HSE Board
Jonathan Baume and George Brechin have been appointed to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board as non-executive directors.
Jonathan Baume and George Brechin have been appointed to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board as non-executive directors. Both appointments commence on 1st April 2013 and will run until 31st March 2016.
The Health and Safety Executive is the national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health in Great Britain’s workplaces.
Mr Baume has been appointed as one of the Board’s employee interest representatives. He said:
The HSE is critical for the wellbeing of people working across all sectors of the economy. It is also an engine for economic growth by ensuring that an effective platform of essential regulation and advice underpins the efficiency and productivity of both the public and private sectors. I am honoured to have the opportunity to help the HSE to maintain and enhance Britain’s excellent health and safety record in the face of important challenges over the coming years.
Mr Brechin, who has been appointed to the board to represent the public interest, said:
I am very pleased to be appointed to the Board of the HSE. Safeguarding the health and safety of employees, of customers and users and of the public is a fundamental responsibility. I look forward to contributing to the continued success of the HSE, its staff and its partners in responding to the changing world of work.
Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive, welcomed both appointments and said:
I am pleased to welcome George and Jonathan to the HSE Board. George will provide a great insight into the public interest aspects of HSE’s activities from his many years of working in the Health sector. He will also make an important contribution to HSE’s activities in Scotland.
Jonathan brings experience from his many years as a trade union representative in the Civil service and also as a member of the ACAS Council and Civil Service Commission.
Mark Hoban, Minster for Employment with responsibility for health and safety matters, said:
The appointment of Jonathan Baume and George Brechin to the HSE Board is very welcome. Based on their experience and knowledge from their long careers in public service I have no doubt they will make a major contribution to the HSE Board and the continuing reform and modernisation of the health and safety system in Great Britain.
Notes to Editors:
- The appointments have been made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. In the case of the two new appointees:
- Jonathan Baume has not declared any political activities.
- George Brechin has not declared any political activities.
- The HSE Board has nine non-executive director members. Board members receive an annual remuneration of £15,100 for up to 30 days work a year.
Biographical details
Mr Baume was until recently General Secretary and Chief Executive of the FDA, a trade union and professional organisation representing senior public sector managers. He is currently one of eleven Civil Service Commissioners and a member of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), Council representing employee interests. He has held a number of lay and representative posts in the trade union movement in a career spanning almost 40 years, including a role at the TUC in policy development on employment law and diversity.
George Brechin retired on 31 March 2012 after 10 years as Chief Executive of NHS Fife. A graduate in electrical engineering and electronics from the University of Glasgow, he joined the Department of Health in London in 1972. He moved to the NHS in Scotland in 1988, holding three NHS Trust Chief Executive posts before his appointment to NHS Fife. He has a Companionship of the Institute of Healthcare Management and was awarded the OBE in the most recent Honours List. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
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