Ted King and David Hickish Awards

Our twin awards, Ted King Award and David Hickish Award, celebrate the best candidates of the year who have achieved, respectively, the BOHS Certificate of Operational Competence in Occupational Hygiene and the BOHS Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene.

Who was Ted King?

After service as a Flight-Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1946, Edward (Ted) King took his BSc in physics from London University. From 1948 to 1962, he was a member of the scientific staff of the Department for Research in Industrial Medicine, of the Medical Research Council. For the next 24 years, Edward was, first, Director of the Occupational Hygiene Service, working from Manchester University, and in 1970 became Chief Executive of the National Occupational Hygiene Service.

From 1962 to 1990, he was an Honorary Lecturer of Manchester University, and from 1969 to 1979, a member of the Expert Committee of the World Health Organization. He was awarded the Diploma in Occupational Hygiene by the British Examining Board in Occupational Hygiene (BEBOH), was President of the Institute of Occupational Hygienists (1977-78) and became an Honorary Fellow of BOHS in 1987. From 1976 to 1979, he was a member of the British Examining Board in Occupational Hygiene (BEBOH) and became a Fellow through the distinction of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in 1985. Ted King received our Bedford Award in 1990.

Who was David Hickish?

Following graduation, David entered an electrical engineering apprenticeship with Metropolitan-Vickers in Manchester and then served as an engineer with the GPO. In 1949, he was appointed Lecturer in Industrial Hygiene at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1957, he joined the Occupational Hygiene Service in Slough, later becoming its Director. On its closure in 1964, David took up the post of Industrial Hygiene Specialist with the Ford Motor Co Ltd, Brentwood, which he held until his retirement in 1988.

He has served as the BOHS Honorary Treasurer, member of the Council (now referred to as the Board) and President of the Society as well as Secretary of the Standards Committee, and Chairman of the Policy Committee. Dr Hickish was Chairman of British Examining Board in Occupational Hygiene (BEBOH), from 1967 to 1989. He has served as our representative on the Industrial Health Advisory Committee, on Committees of the British Standards Institution on industrial noise, on residential noise, and welding fume. David was awarded the Bedford Award on its inception in 1978 along with Peter Isaac and was made an Honorary Member in 1989.