Well-known Eastbourne man given national award

Left to right: Ian Grant, DAF Trucks Ltd (Headline Sponsor), Eur ring Prof Dave Cooper, Sir John Parker, patron SOE & chairman of Pennon Group and Laing O'Rourke, a director of Carnival Corporation plc and lead non-executive director at the Cabinet Office

The 2021 Sir Moir Lockhead Safety Award has been awarded to EUR ING Professor David Cooper.

Mr Cooper was president of the chamber from 2004–2005 and is a worldwide leading safety expert for vertical transportation of goods and people.

He was presented with the award in recognition of delivering tangible improvements in safety after giving more than 30 years of his engineering career to improving the safety of lift and escalator passengers and engineers.

Bruce McGill, chief executive of the Society of Operations Engineers, said, “Safety, quality and engineering excellence are by-words for what Dave Cooper represents. The impact of Dave’s work - in his lifelong quest to have zero fatalities (for passengers and engineers) within the lift and escalator sector - is phenomenal. He is a very deserving recipient of the award.”

Mr Cooper said, “I am delighted to accept the award. Thank you to the society and Sir Moir for recognising me in this manner.

“Lifts and escalators are part of all our daily lives so it is imperative that the pursuit of safety excellence is continued.”

His research into the safety of escalators has prompted changes to the European standards – something that has saved many lives.

Mr Cooper is managing director of LECS (UK), the leading independent consultants in lifts escalators and cable cars – a company that has its head office here in Eastbourne.