Graham Farrant has been appointed as a non-executive director on the board of the Health and Safety Executive
Graham Farrant photo from The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
The former chief executive of BCP Council has secured a new role on the board of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Graham Farrant has been appointed as a non-executive director on the HSE board, replacing Martin Esom who is set to retire in March this year.
The HSE serves as Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, aiming to prevent work-related death, injury, and ill health through regulatory actions that influence behaviours across industry sectors and targeted interventions on individual businesses.
It operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
With a career spanning 47 years in or for local government and the public sector, Mr Farrant has spent 25 of those years serving as a chief executive.
Before his tenure at BCP Council, he held the position of chief executive of HM Land Registry and chief land registrar.
His previous roles also include chief executive of Thurrock Council and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
In addition to his public sector experience, Mr Farrant has spent around 15 years in the private sector as chief executive of Leisure Connection Ltd and pmpgenesis Ltd, both management consultancy firms in the leisure industry.
Mr Farrant began his career as an environmental health officer at Westminster City Council, holding qualifications including a degree in environmental health, a master’s in environmental pollution science, and an executive coaching qualification at master’s level.
In summer 2018, he was appointed chief executive of the newly formed Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, a position he assumed on 1 April 2019.
Whilst leading BCP Council, Mr Farrant served as a director of FuturePlaces, the controversial in-house regeneration company that remains the subject of an ongoing internal investigation at the authority.
Following his appointment to the HSE Board, Chair Sarah Newton said: “I am delighted that Graham Farrant will be joining us on the HSE Board. I’m looking forward to welcoming Graham into our team of effective and committed non-executive directors focused on enabling the delivery of HSE’s vitally important mission, vision and ten-year strategy.”
