Lawrence
Corney
Class of 1989
Background:
Lawrence Corney was born in England, September 26, 1912. Following
graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree, he spent a short
period as a professional engineer before embarking on his
career in health and safety in 1938. Following retirement
in 1976, he remained active in his professional engineering
and safety institutions until his death on April 26, 1988.
Professional
Experience:
Between 1938 and 1947, Mr. Corney was a member of HM Factory
Inspectorate, the governmental enforcement and advisory body
in England. In 1947, he was seconded to the newly nationalized
electricity industry to help establish a safety organization.
First responsible for the Northwestern Region, he progressed
through various safety posts until he became chief safety
officer of the Electricity Council in 1959, a position which
he held with distinction until his retirement in 1976.
Career
Highlights:
Mr. Corney was honored by HM Queen Elizabeth (member of the
Order of the British Empire) and by the French government
for his lifetime's work. He was recognized as the chief authority
in all aspects of health and safety in the electricity supply
industry. He made a unique contribution to the formation and
development of the Institution of Occupational Safety and
Health, which elected him its president on four occasions
and honored his achievement on his retirement by appointing
him president emeritus -- a unique distinction.
Mr. Corney
developed a national code of safety rules for operational
procedures for working on complex steam generation plant and
live high voltage electrical equipment. He was a key figure
in making representations to British government departments
on safety legislation, enforcement policies, and establishing
status for the health and safety practitioner. He was for
many years a director of the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents, and chaired the Safety and Health Committee
of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. In the latter
capacity, he was liaison engineer on safety and health matters
with other professional institutions, and influenced the safety
development of professional engineers at the highest institutional
level.
Mr. Corney
was a regular contributor to books and journals on a wide
range of specialist electrical safety topics, and was engaged
as a specialist referee by publishers regarding specialist
articles and books.
