Ken Patterson

Originally an industrial chemist, Ken joined HSE as a Specialist Inspector, dealing with Process Safety. He worked as a field inspector across the North of England and spent periods in HSE Headquarters, in Major Hazards and Operational Research. He moved to Hickson & Welch in 1994, after the Company’s major accident, as their Health and Safety Manager. From 2005 up to his retirement in 2016 he was the Group SHE manager for Synthomer plc, an international polymer group with 20 manufacturing sites from the UK to Vietnam.

Ken was a member of the working group which wrote IChemE’s “Fundamentals of Process Safety” course and has taught the course a number of times. He chaired the working group which produced the revised 3rd edition of the CIA’s Occupied Buildings guidance and up to his retirement was a member of the UK Chemical Weapons Convention Advisory Committee. In 2012 he was awarded the Franklin Medal by IChemE for his work in Process Safety.