Awards & Honours

Bedford Award

This was instituted in 1978, named after the first President of BOHS, T Bedford CBE, and is the Society’s prime honour. It is awarded irregularly, and marks outstanding contributions to the discipline of occupational hygiene, either in the general field or in work for the Society. The recipient is presented with a medal at the Annual Conference. Dr Trevor Ogden is the latest recipient.

Thomas Bedford Memorial Prize

Again named in honour of our first President, the Bedford Prize (as it is known) is BOHS's oldest award and is given not more than once every two years to the author or authors of the most outstanding paper published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene during the relevant period. The winner or winners receive £500 (to be shared) and a Certificate (each), which are presented to the lead name at the Annual Conference. The last Bedford Prize, awarded in 2007,  was for a paper written by Dr Roel Vermeulen, with 14 collaborators, on benzene and toluene exposure levels in Chinese shoe factories.

Anyone can nominate up to three papers to the shortlist for the Bedford Prize, with the exception of  someone working in the organisation of one of the authors, or with a close personal link with an author. The winner is chosen from the shortlist and proposed to BOHS Council by a panel of the Editorial Board and recent officers of BOHS.

The closing date for nominations for the 2008 Prize was 2 May 2008. We are now drawing up the shortlist from nominated papers published in 2006 and 2007 (Volumes 50 and 51). The main author of the winning paper will be invited to receive the prize at the 2009 Annual Conference, and on the last couple of occasions the winner has given a presentation at the Conference following up on the winning paper.

Ted King and David Hickish Awards

Established many years ago by BIOH originally, these recognise the best candidates in each year from those who have achieved the Certificate of Operational Competence in Occupational Hygiene and Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene, respectively. They are named in honour of two past Presidents, both of whom were also Bedford Award recipients. The prize for each is £250. 

Jeremy Carter and Kathryn Shields are the winners for 2007.

Working For A Healthier Workplace – The Peter Isaac Award

This is an annual Award which recognises a valuable contribution by an individual to the reduction of ill-health at work, and is open to any individual member of BOHS or any other POOSH organisation. The winner receives £1,000 towards attendance at any health and safety conference, the specially engraved Trophy for the year, and a framed Certificate to keep, presented at the Annual Conference Dinner. Also included is complimentary attendance for one day of the Conference and the Conference Dinner, and free BOHS membership for one year.

The Award was initiated to mark BOHS's Golden Jubilie in 2003, and the latest winner, for 2007, is Sally Haw of NHS Health Scotland.

Nominations for the 2008 Award are now invited; download the full Guidelines from here. The closing date for applications is 30th September 2008.