Profile

David Thomas

Director and Secretary,
TWf UK
Director and Secretary,
TWf UK

Contact Details

TWf UK

Bio

David was appointed a Director of TWf in September 2014. He is also Company Secretary.

David is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner.  He is the Director of Heightsayfe Ltd. (www.heightsayfe.com). He was formerly Technical Director at The heightec Group Ltd and previously SHE Director at William Hare Ltd, a global leader in engineered steel solutions.  Prior to this he was an HM Principal Specialist Inspector of Health and Safety (Construction) at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE, 1997 to 2007).

In a broad career to date he has held a number of positions in different organisations: multi-disciplinary engineering and management consultancy; health and safety enforcement (in support of criminal proceedings and as a technical specialist); health and safety management (in construction and manufacturing); and the design of equipment, training and support services for professional work at height and rescue.

Roles have ranged from that of designer, site engineer, project manager, safety advisor, specialist inspector, safety health and environment director and, presently, company director.  These positions have been within large and small organisations, both private and public sector.

Whilst at the HSE, David commissioned a number of research projects, including Friction in temporary works (HSE Research Report 071) and Investigation into aspects of falsework (Contract Research Report 394/2001), both undertaken by Birmingham University.

He was lead author for Safe erection, use and dismantling of falsework, HSE Construction Information Sheet No. 56, and Chairman of the CIRIA Steering Group that prepared Facade retention – Best practice guide (Report RP626), Retention of masonry facades – best practice guide (Report C579) and Retention of masonry facades – best practice site handbook (Report C589).

David was a project group member for Permanent formwork in construction (Report C558, CIRIA), Checklist for the safe erection and dismantling of falsework (CS123, 1999 Concrete Society) and Checklist for the assembly, use and striking of formwork (CS144, 2002, Concrete Society).

He is chairman of BSI Technical Committee PH/5, Personal fall protection, has been awarded individual life membership of IRATA International and was a member of the Editorial Board for Safety and Health Practitioner (2014).