Earlier this year the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) announced multiple vacancies on its board, along with its two faculty committees. Of these important bodies, regular readers will know well the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM) Committee, which is expanding with the addition of five new members.

I’m excited to have been invited to run for election to one of these new positions on the FAAM Committee. I’m especially honoured given the calibre of the others in the list of nominees – I’m standing alongside many highly respected names, and very grateful to Sam Collins and Yvonne Waterman for putting me forward.

I wanted to serve up a brief reminder of the role of FAAM, and how the Committee and its members shape its direction and decision making. The faculty exists as the professional home for all of us who deal with asbestos as part of their work in the UK. Its key focus is on supporting and ensuring the competency and expertise of its members, with the goal of reducing the ongoing issues – such as mesothelioma and other cancers – that relate to historic asbestos use in the UK.

The FAAM Committee exists to steer this work. In FAAM’s own words, it’s there to “act as the guardian of professional standards and ethics in the profession of asbestos assessment and management.”

In practice, this means regular meetings at which the FAAM Committee works towards developing and maintaining standards for the profession. Committee members take part in discussions around qualifications and faculty membership, participating in disciplinary matters, and generally helping to ensure that the Committee continues to deliver against its objectives and satisfy its overall purpose.

It’s an exciting and important role, for a vitally important faculty, focusing on one of the biggest ongoing health and infrastructure challenges faced by this country. As I say, I’m honoured to even be in the running, and I wish all the nominees the very best of luck in the forthcoming election.

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If you’re a FAAM member, you should already have received an email inviting you to vote, sent on behalf of Alex Wilson, BOHS Honorary Secretary. If you haven’t seen it, please do check your junk mail folder, as my own invitation landed there.