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Thank you, Karen, for taking the time to write this well considered tribute to Simon. Simon was obviously a significant driver for occupational health practice. David Blunkettıs tribute is also interesting, he has a vested interest in promoting workplace health and safety. Davidıs own father fell into a vat of boiling liquid in the workplace suffering serious burns from which he died a few weeks later. Anne Anne Harriss Course Director LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY On 03/12/2012 17:27, "Karen Coomer" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I first met Simon when working in Sheffield in the 1990ıs, he very generously > let me have the use of his OH resource library (this was the days before > google) and his brilliant mind as I studied for my degree in OH. My lasting > impression was someone who did not seek the limelight, was very modest and > had a passion to improve working conditions for the ordinary working man/woman > - a very clever inspirational man. > > Simon Pickvance died on Friday November 23rd 2012. He had been diagnosed with > mesothelioma two years ago, a consequence of one-time day job as a bricklayer > as he developed innovative, worker-oriented occupational health support in > primary care. In this Primary Care work, he spent his time listening to the > concerns of workers and trying to improve their health by making connections > with their ill health and their working conditions. He worked tirelessly to > improve the lives of ordinary workers. Simon created Workers' Health > International Newsletter, which consolidated international information > exchange and cooperation between union and health and safety activists and > sympathetic medics and scientists worldwide. He was one of the founders of > the Sheffield Health Project, more about his work can be found on > http://www.sohas.co.uk/ > > He was recently made an Emeritus Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini. His work > was also recognised in awards from the grassroots Construction Safety Campaign > and Hazards Campaign. His earlier work as a molecular biologist was noted in > John Sulstonıs 2002 Nobel Prize lecture. Simon was active in EWHN, European > Work Hazards Network, right from the beginning. > > This is what David Blunkett MP has to say about him: > > "I knew Simon for very many years - his dedicated and committed work in > seeking protection from industrial disease and redress for those who had been > so grievously affected. It is a terrible twist of fate that saw mesothelioma > strike him down, the very thing (industrial disease) he devoted his life to > combating. It is thanks to his dedication and tenacity that others had at > least some compensation, that there has been proper research and recognition, > and with the years of support through the Sheffield Workplace Health > Programme, GPs and public health workers have done so much to highlight the > challenge and to do something about it. As new threats emerge, and as health > and safety is seen as some over-regulatory burden, we will need the Simons of > the future to address those entirely new challenges and to take on both > ignorance about, and indifference to, those dangers. He will be sorely > missed." David Blunkett MP > > Sad loss to OH. > Karen > > Karen Coomer > Occupational Health Nurse Specialist > KC Business Health Ltd > Tel: 01904 440323 > Mobile: 07748 595028 > Web: www.kcbusinesshealth.co.uk <http://www.kcbusinesshealth.co.uk/> > e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > > > ******************************** Please remove this footer before replying. > OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html > > CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH ******************************** Please remove this footer before replying. OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH