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John Rimington

b. 1935

British civil servant

Director generalCivil servant
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About John Rimington

Born 1935. John Rimington is a British director general and civil servant.

John David Rimington, CB (born 1935) is a retired British civil servant.

Born in 1935, Rimington attended Jesus College, Cambridge, before completing National Service in the Army. He entered HM Civil Service in 1959 as an official in the Board of Trade. From 1965 to 1969, he was a first secretary for economic matters in the British Embassy in New Delhi. After a year at the Department of Trade and Industry, he entered the Department of Employment in 1970. After another period abroad from 1974 (as a counsellor in the UK's permanent representation to the European Economic Community), he was transferred to the Manpower Services Commission in 1977.

In 1981, Rimington became director of the safety policy division of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and he was appointed Director-General of the HSE in 1984, For his service, Rimington was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1987. In retirement, he has held a visiting professorship at the University of Strathclyde and delivered the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' Allan St John Holt Lecture in 2008. because it "seemed a faff", and in later life reconciled, living together during the COVID lockdown of 2021. Stella Rimington commented "It's a good recipe for marriage, I'd say: split up, live separately, and return to it later".

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Director general, civil servant
Nationality
Education
Nottingham High School, Jesus College
Positions held
Director general
Awards
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Also known as
John David Rimington, J. D. Rimington

People in John Rimington's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Rimington's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Rimington?

British civil servant

When was John Rimington born?

John Rimington was born on 27 June 1935 in Erewash.

What is John Rimington's occupation?

John Rimington is a director general and civil servant.

What nationality is John Rimington?

John Rimington is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Rimington

· Wikidata: Q110803951

· DBpedia: John Rimington (civil servant)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Rimington. https://biography.guide/john-rimington/

MLA: "John Rimington." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-rimington/.

Chicago: "John Rimington." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-rimington/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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