Toy safety expert Jerry Burnie has been awarded an OBE for services to business and consumers in the New Year Honours list.
The gong, announced by the BTHA where Burnie is head of compliance and a long-standing consultant, relates to his work on toy safety.
As well as owning and manging his own toy safety consultancy, Independent Quality Solutions, he has worked as lead toy safety consultant for the Association for many years, heading up its toy safety advisory service for 150 members. He is also chair of the BTHA’s technical and sustainability committees.
In its announcement, the BTHA outlined his invaluable work, noting: “Jerry’s career in product safety has spanned several decades and during this time he has been influential in guiding the toy industry, government departments, standards committees, and enforcement authorities on product safety to protect both businesses and consumers. Jerry has been instrumental in developing many tools and initiatives to help businesses to understand and practically comply with technical regulations including: an extensive list of guidance documents; the creation of Toyograph, a chemical risk assessment tool unique to the toy industry; and setting up the BTHA’s Primary Authority Partnership. Jerry has also trained hundreds of trading standards officers across the UK to help them identify non-compliant and unsafe toys that put children at risk of harm.”
Commenting on the honour, Burnie said: “Receiving news of this award has been a totally unexpected and amazing experience. It has only been possible due to the high level of importance placed on toy safety by the BTHA, as well as their support for and confidence in my work for which I will always be extremely grateful.”
Director General of the BTHA, Roland Earl added: “It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve with Jerry over so many years. Under Jerry’s management, the toy safety team’s work has gone from strength to strength. I speak for all the team at the BTHA who work with Jerry in congratulating him on this very well-deserved honour, and I know I also speak for the Association’s members and our partners in product safety elsewhere.”
