Colin Mew succeeds Chris Leese, a former vice-president of Cemex, who has led the MPA’s health and safety strategy for the past four years.
Colin Mew ran the national quarries inspection team at the Health & Safety Executive until last summer. He was with the HSE for 29 years.
Over the past year, since leaving the HSE, he has been a consultant to the MPA. On 1st August he joined the staff. He is tasked with accelerating the delivery of MPA’s Vision Zero risk reduction strategy in the mineral products sector.
After graduating from Doncaster College / Leeds University with a degree in quarrying in 1985, Colin Mew worked in a number of managerial positions in the industry before joining the HSE in 1993 as HM inspector of quarries. In 2009 he was promoted to principal inspector, which included the role of chief inspector of quarries, in charge of a team of inspectors responsible for regulating health and safety in quarries across Britain.
He said of his new career path: “MPA stands out as the authoritative voice of the mineral products industry, and I have enjoyed a close association with MPA and its members for many years. Throughout that time, I have observed the collective determination of the sector to make workplaces safe and healthy. Taking on this new role is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with MPA members and other stakeholders to work towards Vision Zero where everyone goes home safe and well, every day.
“MPA has health and safety as a strategic priority and core value and so visibly supports and celebrates innovation and excellence in this area. After 18 months working with MPA in an advisory capacity, I’m really looking forward to getting hands-on to build on the good work that has already been done. I feel privileged to be in a position to bring my insight into the regulator together with learnings from some unique experiences over my career.”
MPA chief executive Jon Prichard said: “During the past decade the mineral products sector has overall improved its health and safety track record and adopted a leading position in promoting the sharing of good practice, but we continue to face significant challenges on our journey towards Vision Zero.
“We are therefore fortunate to have someone as experienced as Colin joining MPA with a wealth of expertise drawn from his long-standing association with mineral products and other heavy industries such as iron and steel. He has been involved with every aspect of health and safety, from major accident investigation work to shaping policy to engaging with stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes. I would like to thank Chris Leese for his leadership over the past few years and his ongoing support as we refocus our efforts to help keep people safe and well.”
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