Double Award for Tyne & Wear retiring Chairman Barry Tupper

The Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) with over 38,000 members is the largest professional health and safety body in the world. The Tyne & Wear Branch has over 1,000 very active members and at the May 2010 AGM, retiring Branch Chairman Barry Tupper received two awards in recognition of his services to the Institution. On being elected to the Chair Phil Tye’s first duty was to present retiring Chairman Barry Tupper with the Tyne & Wear Branch Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of over 10 years service on the Branch Exec.

Following election of the Branch officers IOSH President John Holden gave an entertaining presentation on his role within IOSH and an insight into his background and plans for his reign as President. Part way through his presentation he mentioned the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and how he considers it essential to acknowledge services to IOSH. He then asked Barry Tupper to step up to receive the award.

Barry has been a member of IOSH since 1979 when he joined, what was then the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers as a Student Member and as Barry explained, at an unfortunate time. "I joined just as NEBOSH was established and had to take the first year's NEBOSH Associate level course at Wulfrum College, Wolverhampton. Luckily I passed and progressed onto the Diploma. When I moved to the North East in 1986 to help set up the Nissan health and safety department I transferred from the Midland to the Tyne & Wear Branch. I joined the Exec in 1987 where I stayed for six years before work commitments at Nissan forced me to stand down at a time when I was Vice Chairman and looking forward to taking the Chair. During that time I developed the first Branch Plan and I got the job as I was the only one on the Exec who had access to a computer, how times change. The Branch won an award for that piece of work and the current Branch Plan is still very similar to the one we produced in 1988. I received my Fellowship in 1989 and represented the UK on several European machinery safety standards groups from 1989 to 2000. I returned to the Tyne & Wear Exec in 2005 spending three years as Vice Chair before finally taking over the Chairman’s seat in 2008."

Barry stated that he was shocked to have received not one but two awards on the same day.

"To receive recognition from your peers is tremendous and it is good for the Branch to have a member recognised by the President and staff at the Grange. I would like to thank the Exec for their excellent support through my two years as Chairman and for presenting me with this highly valued award for my time on the Exec."

Barry intends to continue with his role on the IOSH Tyne & Wear Exec in particular using his experience as an IOSH peer review interview panel member to assist new members to achieve the Institutions Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow status and to assist the new Chairman to develop closer links with other professional and business bodies within  the Region.