Membership

2007 Awardee

The William D. Wagner Award, established in 2003, is presented annually to a person in the field of national and international worker health and safety who is an outstanding example of commitment and dedication to the creation and dissemination of occupational exposure values (OEVs).

The 2007 recipient of the William D. Wagner Award is Gerald V. Coles, CChem.

Mr. Coles obtained the Diploma in Occupational Hygiene of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1966. He became a member of ACGIH^® in 1967. In 1971, he became Occupational Hygienist to the British Railways Board, moving to the London School in 1974 as Senior Lecturer in Occupational Hygiene with particular involvement in the consultancy work of the industrial information and advisory service of the Scholl's T.U.C. Centenary Institute of Occupational Health. Mr. Coles moved to Australia in 1976 as a scientific officer in the West Australia Government Occupational Health Division with general involvement in occupational hygiene and a major concern for the preparation of occupational hearing conservation legislation. He held the post of Occupational Hygiene advisor to the Shell Group of Companies in Australia from 1978 until retirement from full-time employment, but continued part-time consultancy activities in occupational hygiene and other areas related to his experience in the field of occupational well being.

Mr. Coles has served on numerous committees and boards, including: the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Hazardous Materials Committee (as foundation chairman for standing committee of the Environment Division of RACI) (1978–1984); the Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Injuries Committees of the International Commission on Occupational Health; the Standards Development Standing Committee of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (1985–1988); the Exposure Standards Working Group (1985–1992); the editorial review board of ACGIH^®'s Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (1987–2004); the Australian Acoustical Society; past President of the Occupational Health Society of Australia (West Australian Branch); and founding member (and subsequently Fellow) of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists.

Mr. Coles served diligently on the ACGIH^® Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV^®-PA) Committee from 1976 through 2004.

Mr. Coles' scientific contributions to occupational hygiene throughout his professional career make him a deserving recipient, and it is with honor that ACGIH^® awards him the 2007 William D. Wagner Award.

Previous Award Recipients