Ann. occup. Hyg., Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 357, 2002
© 2002 British Occupational Hygiene Society
Published by Oxford University Press
Brian Holyoak President of the BOHS 2001–2002
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INTRODUCTION |
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 TOP INTRODUCTION |
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Brian Holyoak graduated as a physicist from Durham University in 1964 and went on to complete a Ph.D. in 1967 with the thesis ‘An analysis of muon showers at large zenith angles’ under the tutelage of Sir Arnold Wolfendale. His first position was for 5 yr with British Nuclear Design and Construction Ltd, as a senior physicist, where he worked on the development of reactor core and shielding design computer codes and their utilization, neutron start-up source design, design and construction of a neutron generator, development and installation of reactor start-up flux monitoring instrumentation and as a team leader for the initial fuel loading for R1 at Wylfa NPS.
He was appointed an HM Specialist Inspector (Radiation) with the Factory Inspectorate in 1972 and became part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at its formation and has remained with HSE to the present. His initial role was in the regulation of unsealed radioactive substances and non-ionizing radiation in workplaces across Great Britain; part of this work entailed the development of monitoring techniques, particularly in relation to the application of laser, UV radiation and radio frequency technology, which were in their infancy in the 1970s. He then became responsible for the inspection of UK Atomic Energy Authority establishments (Harwell and the Culham nuclear fusion facility), Atomic Weapons Establishments (Foulness, Aldermaston, Burghfield and ROF Cardiff), certain naval armament depots and a submarine reactor training facility, as well as a Medical Research Council unit and the National Radiological Protection Board. This role embraced all hazards at these sites and covered all aspects of occupational hygiene.
In the early 1980s he worked on the development of what became the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, which implemented a Euratom Directive. In the mid 1980s there was an opportunity to diversify and the first move was to noise and vibration, with subsequent responsibilities for ventilation, pathogens and GMOs, human resource issues, management of a major research budget, quality, knowledge management, etc. He now heads the Physical Agents Unit in the Technology Division, HSE.
Brian’s involvement with the BOHS began in 1988 as the HSE representative on, and deputy chairman of, a Society group organizing an international conference on ventilation. Seeing the value of working within the Society he was shortly afterwards elected to its Council and became its Honorary Treasurer for a period of 6 yr up to 2000, at which time he became President-elect.
His year in office has focused on the development of the proposals for the merger with BIOH and with raising the profile of the Society as a recognized force within the occupational hygiene community, and beyond, whilst being a major contributor to the HSC/E ‘Securing Health Together’ initiative. A theme throughout has been the need for the discipline, and for occupational hygienists, to evolve in order to keep ahead of the changes in the world around us so that the Society’s aims continue to be relevant, and implemented, in the years ahead.
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