Professional
Experience:
At the end of the war in 1946, James Tye left the service
to become an advertising agent and contractor. In 1950 he
became managing director of Sky Press and Safety Publications
LTD. He joined the British Safety Council in 1962 as the executive
director and its first director general.
Career
Highlights:
Under the direction and leadership of Mr. Tye, the British
Safety Council became the largest specialist industrial body
in the world, with more than 20,000 member companies employing
about 10 million people. Over 26,000 people annually enroll
and attend the Council's seminars, workshops and classes,
which include Risk Assessment and the International Diploma
in Safety Management.
Mr. Tye
helped to bring about the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
and, over the years, served on 12 government committees, in
which he reported on matters involving occupational safety,
first aid and risk management, driving safety, asbestos, and
other safety and health concerns. He wrote "The Need
for Seat Belts and Harnesses" report, which was presented
to Parliament in 1959 and eventually became law in Great Britain.
The Royal College of Surgeons reports that it saves 1,000
lives a year and accounts for a 40 percent reduction in severity
of injuries. Following his pioneering work, 20 other countries
introduced seat belt laws -- Australia, Ireland, Israel, Hungary,
etc. He wrote 20 reports to members of Parliament on product
liability, training safety officers, lifejackets and buoyancy
aids, motorway safety barriers, safety in fairgrounds, children's
flammable nightwear and vehicle recall procedures. He lectured
and traveled all over the world and covered more miles in
the pursuit of safety excellence than any other safety leader.
Delegates from many countries attended courses specifically
designed for them and safety council personnel.
In December
1987 he was honored by members of the House of Lords and House
of Commons for his outstanding and meritorious service in
his 25 years with the British Safety Council. As a writer
and publisher of technical works, Mr. Tye authored The Management
Guide to Total Loss Control (1972), Management Guide to Product
Liability (1968), Communicating the Safety Message (1968),
Back Pain, the Ignored Epidemic (1973), Industrial Safety
Digest (1953), Skillful Driving (1952), and The International
Nautical Safety Code (1961). Besides being a well-known author,
he appeared on television and radio programs, speaking on
a wide variety of safety and health issues. His career achievements
and successful campaigns affected every area of life, saving
countless lives and reducing waste and human suffering. He
was known throughout the world as the "Man Who Makes
Things Happen."
