Ian Smart

I joined Wessex Archaeology in April 2020 as Occupational health and Safety Specialist. My role is to implement the continual improvement of occupational health and safety across the whole organisation. The stated goal of Wessex Archaeology is to be the sector leader in health and safety performance, not just in fieldwork but across all of our core and support services.

Previously I spent 20 years working for the Health and Safety Executive, primarily in an Inspector role in the West of England, but also undertaking national policy work serving on the tripartite CHARGE committee. I have co-authored pieces of HSE guidance and also guidance published in partnership with trade associations.

After bad experiences with history in school, my interest began properly as a young Physics teacher when the stories of the scientists of the past became a fascination. For over 25 years I have been interested in genealogy, not only researching my own lineage but also writing the occasional article and undertaking wider research. This included collaborating with others on research into the 1844 Landshipping mining tragedy which led to a new memorial recognizing the names of all 40 victims erected on the 175th anniversary of the disaster.