27th Mountbatten Memorial Lecture

The HSE has been accused of being responsible for some bizarre decisions - banning the backstroke in swimming pools, home-made cakes from school fetes and hanging baskets in public areas - none of which are true. Timothy Walker, Director General of the Health and Safety Executive will redress the balance, explaining the HSE's desire for a sensible health and safety system. He is confident that he will convince you of the financial and social value of taking such an approach.

Director General, Health & Safety Executive Timothy Walker is a scientist, and an engineer. He has many unique credentials that allow him to work effectively with professionals, civil servants and ministers. As Head of the Atomic Agency Division, he prepared the nuclear industry for privatisation. Moving on as DTI UK Governor of IAEA, he shaped international nuclear policy towards nuclear proliferation in Iraq and as chairman of the ?200 EBRD personally negotiated critical Eastern European nuclear safety improvement programmes with the US, France and Germany. He was the Director General for Immigration and Nationality (from 1995-1998) and Deputy Chairman HM Customs & Excise (from 1998-2000). At the HSE he is in charge of a 4000-strong engineering/science-based Agency. He is currently working on improving health and safety risk assessment practice, bringing together the technical, political, social and economic arguments. His drive to integrate the diverse arguments into what was formerly practiced as a largely technical activity has important implications for UK competitiveness and will ultimately need to be reflected in a broadening of the practice of engineering.