Context [Top]

Name of creator

Health and Safety Division, HS

Administrative history

In 1974, the Administration Department regrouped the Divisions :

• Finance, FI
• Personnel, PE
• Technical Services and Buildings, SB

and the Groups :

• Health Physics, HP
• General Safety, SY
• Central Services, CS

At its 55th Session the Council approved the establishment of the Health and Safety Division (HS) in the Administration Department. The HS Division, directed by A. J. Herz, was created on the 1st July 1975, consisted of the following Groups:

• Health Physics 
• General Safety 
• Medical Service, from Personnel Division 
• General Services 

It thus contained all the services which were concerned with the maintenance, protection and promotion of health and with the safety of people and equipment. In particular, its activities comprised radiation protection, control of radioactive materials and disposal of radioactive waste, industrial safety, control of hazardous chemicals, occupational medicine (including routine medical supervision of workers exposed to radiation and hazardous substances), emergency medical assistance, the fire brigade and general emergency, rescue and ambulance services, and training and information in the field of safety and health at work.

In 1978, the name of the Division in French was changed from "Sante et Securite" to Hygiene et Securite".

In 1982, the HS Division became a Department.

In 1983, the HS Department was renamed Technical Inspection and Safety Commission (TIS) and underwent a number of organizational changes. There were three different reasons for these changes :

• to provide for direct reporting to the Director-General, 
• to define more clearly the areas as well as the limits of responsibility of the Safety Service, 
• to improve the technical competence and efficiency of the Safety Service

* Source : Annual reports 1975 and 1983

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Herz, A J