Canadian post for HSA chief

Health and Safety Authority chief executive Tom Beegan is to leave his post on January 31st, to take up a new job in the Workplace, Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in Canada.

Mr Beegan, from Co Roscommon, has held the HSA post for the past five years. He originally trained as a psychiatric nurse and was deputy chief executive of the South Eastern Health Board before he moved to the HSA.

The WSIB, which has its head office in Toronto, is a similar organisation to the HSA but much larger, with a staff of more than 4,000.

Mr Beegan will be head of prevention services at WSIB.

Yesterday the chairman of the HSA board, Jim Lyons, paid tribute to Mr Beegan and said the authority had become a "progressive organisation" under his leadership.

Assistant chief executive Michael Henry will be acting chief executive until Mr Beegan's successor is named.