Judith Hackitt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judith Hackitt
DBE FREng FIChemE FCGI
|
|
|---|---|
Hackitt in November 2011
|
|
| Chair of the Health and Safety Executive | |
| In office 2008–2016 |
|
| Succeeded by | Martin Temple |
| President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers | |
| In office 2013–2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Russell Scott |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Maitland |
| Chair of the Health and Safety Commission | |
| In office 2007–2009 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Judith Elizabeth Hackitt
1 December 1954 Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England |
| Alma mater | Imperial College, London |
| Occupation | Chair, EEF (manufacturers' association) |
| Awards | CBE (2006) DBE (2016) |
Dame Judith Elizabeth Hackitt (born 1 December 1954) is a British engineer and a civil servant. She has held important roles in making sure workplaces and buildings are safe. She used to lead the UK's Health and Safety Executive. Currently, she is the chair of a group called EEF, which helps manufacturing companies.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Judith Hackitt was born on December 1, 1954, in Dordon, a town in Warwickshire, England. She went to Imperial College, London. In 1975, she earned her degree in chemical engineering. This means she studied how to design and operate chemical plants and processes.
Career Journey
After finishing college, Judith Hackitt started her career at Exxon Chemicals. She worked as an engineer at the Fawley Refinery. She moved up to manage the butyl polymer business. Later, she joined Harcros Chemicals. There, she was an operational director for pigments. She also became the group risk manager for the parent company.
In 1998, she joined the Chemical Industries Association. She became its director general in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, she led this important group. She then worked for the European Chemical Industries Council in Brussels.
Leading Safety Organizations
In 2007, Judith Hackitt was chosen to chair the Health and Safety Commission. This group works to keep people safe at work. In 2009, this group joined with the Health and Safety Executive. She became the chair of the combined organization. She held this role until 2016.
From 2013 to 2014, she was the president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. This is a professional group for chemical engineers. She also served on the boards of other important organizations. These included the Energy Saving Trust and the City & Guilds Group.
In 2016, she became the chair of EEF. This organization supports manufacturing businesses. She took over from Martin Temple. He then became the new chair of the Health and Safety Executive.
Making Buildings Safer
Judith Hackitt led an important review about building safety. This review happened after the tragic Grenfell Tower fire. The fire showed that building rules needed to be improved. Her team's first report came out in December 2017.
The final report, called Building a Safer Future, was published in May 2018. In the report, she said that the whole system for building safety needed a big change. She believed the construction industry had not learned enough from past events. She stressed that not all buildings were unsafe. But she said the industry must work to build safer structures.
She now leads the Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG). This group checks on progress in making buildings safer. In a report from January 2022, she urged construction companies to adopt safer practices. She wanted them to do this without waiting for new laws.
Some people criticized Hackitt for her review. They felt she did not look closely enough at the Grenfell fire details. Campaign groups like Grenfell United also felt her report did not go far enough. They wanted a ban on certain building materials. Even though her report didn't recommend it, a ban on combustible cladding was later put in place. This happened after public discussion and a government consultation.
Awards and Recognition
In 2010, Judith Hackitt was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This is a high honor for engineers. She also chairs the External Affairs Committee for the Academy. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
She received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award in 2006. This was for her work in health and safety. In 2016, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This honor was for her contributions to engineering and safety. In 2016, she was also named one of the Top 50 Women in UK Engineering by the Telegraph newspaper.
