John Cullen

Sir Edward John Cullen (29 October 1926 – 14 January 2018) was a British chemical engineer who was head of the UK Health and Safety Commission and received a knighthood for services to health and safety.

Life and education Cullen was born in October 1926 in Bury St Edmunds and attended Culford School. After service in the RAF he went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1948, graduating in chemical engineering in 1952, followed by a master's degree in the same subject at the University of Texas as a Fulbright Scholar, returning to Cambridge to do a PhD in gas absorption. He died 14 January 2018.

He had been particularly involved is safety at ICI and from 1979 was European Director of Rohm & Haas, responsible for engineering, regulatory affairs, health, safety and the environment. This led to him becoming Deputy Chairman of the Chemical Industry Safety, Health & Environment Committee of the Chemical Industries Association and to being Chairman of Health & Safety Commission from 1983 until his retirement in 1993.

Honours Cullen was a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and its President 1988–9. In 1993 he was awarded an honorary doctorate (DSc) by the University of Exeter. He received a knighthood (Knight Bachelor) in the 1991 Birthday Honours.