Health and safety set to take flight at Eton

A man who was responsible for overseeing health and safety at two major regional airports and the Europe, Middle East and African arm of The Walt Disney Corporation has brought his expertise to a leading health and safety building compliance company.

David Wilson was recently appointed Health and Safety Manager at Eton Environmental Group.

The 59-year-old has taken responsibility for the management and continual improvement of health and safety at Eton, which has its head office in Darlington but works with clients across the UK, including national brands/organisations such as such as Pizza Hut, River Island, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and The Crown Estate.

David has worked in the health and safety industry for almost 20 years. This included stints at London Luton Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport and Intu Properties, which is the largest shopping network in the UK.

He was Health and Safety Manager at The Walt Disney Company in London, which included TV, Theatre and film production. Before he left the company in 2017, he was responsible for managing the health and safety element of the Royal Premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi at The Royal Albert Hall.

In his new role at Eton, as well as overseeing the health and safety of Eton’s 50-plus staff, contractors and customers, David, who is a veteran of the Falklands War, will also be bringing his experience in the field of fire safety to bear. This expertise includes the 20 years he spent as a fire-fighter before moving into health and safety.

David said: “My main role is reviewing all current policies and procedures relating to health and safety at Eton Environmental Group, suggest and implement changes and roll out training to the team. Other priorities are, providing a safe and healthy work environment and considering factors that affect physical health. But mental health and occupational health are also important.

“As a company operating in high risk areas such as asbestos management, fire risk management and legionella risk management, it’s imperative that Eton’s own in-house health and safety procedures stand up to the very highest scrutiny.

“There’s already a very positive safety culture across the business and my aim now is to ensure there is continual improvement in this area.

“I will also be supporting in a customer-facing role by advising and supporting companies on health and safety management and fire risk management, this includes undertaking fire compartmentation surveys at customers’ properties which is a growth area post-Grenfell as more businesses realise the improvements they need to make to meet their legal obligations over fire safety.”

Toby Ford, Eton Environmental Group’s Operations Director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome David to the company. With specialist knowledge and experience in fire safety, built environment management and aviation risk management, he provides Eton with a wealth of knowledge and practical experience and is a valuable addition to the team.”