Five new members for Industrial Injuries Advisory Council

On behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Minister for Disabled People, Mark Harper, has made 4 new appointments from 1 December 2014 and one from 8 April 2015. The new members are Dr Sara De Matteis, Dr Andrew White, Ms Karen Mitchell, Mr Douglas Russell and Mr Hugh Robertson. The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is a scientific advisory body that looks at industrial injuries benefit and how it is administered. IIAC is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dr Sara De Matteis

Dr De Matteis was appointed as an independent member with expertise in occupational health, both as a physician and an epidemiologist, and took up her post from 1 December 2014. Dr De Matteis is an Academic Clinical Lecturer in Occupational Respiratory Disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College and at St Thomas’ Hospital, both in London.

Dr Andrew White

Dr White was appointed as a representative of employers for 3 years from 1 December 2014. Dr White is Head of Safety and Occupational Health at the University of Southampton and has an excellent understanding of injury related legislation and work-related ill health.

Ms Karen Mitchell

Ms Mitchell was appointed as a representative of employed earners, taking up her post from 1 December 2014. Ms Mitchell is a Legal Officer and Solicitor with the RMT Union and has over 30 years legal experience covering all types of injury, disease and occupational health issues which will prove valuable to the work of the council.

Mr Douglas Russell

Mr Russell was also appointed as a representative of employed earners, taking up his post from 1 December 2014. Mr Russell is the National Health and Safety Officer for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). He has a long history of representing employee issues and has a good knowledge of occupational health issues.

Mr Hugh Robertson

Mr Robertson has also been appointed as a representative of employed earners, but will take up his post from 8 April 2015. Mr Robertson is a Senior Policy Officer in Health and Safety at the TUC. He has a strong understanding of both the key occupational health issues faced by employees, but also of the Industrial Injuries Scheme as a whole and the challenges associated with it.
Political activity

Two of the representatives of employed earner appointees declared political activity for the Labour Party during the appointment process.