Thames health czar wins OBE

Thames Water’s chief health, safety and wellbeing officer, Karl Simons, has been made an Officer of the Order the British Empire (OBE).

Thames said Simons (pictured) had drawn praise from politicians, business leaders and sector professionals for having “pioneered mental health policy reform both company-wide and nationally”.

It said that since it started recording mental illness and physical illness together seven years ago, work-related illness within the company has declined by 80%.  

Water-sector related honours included Members of the Order of the British Empire Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at the University of Dundee, Geoffrey Allan, for services to water quality and Environment Agency technical specialist, Sally Gallagher, for services to the groundwater environment and to the protection of communities