Two Aberdeen Public Analysts Retire
On 31st August 2007, due to a restructuring in Aberdeen City Council, both Norman Michie and David Bryce retired from service in the Public Analyst Laboratory in Aberdeen. Between them they had 54 years service in public analyst laboratories, 36 of which had been as Public Analysts. This loss of experience will be a major blow to the Public Analyst profession in Scotland and for food enforcement in Scotland.
Alan Richards, President of the Association of Public Analysts commented "Norman and David have served their local authorities very well as Public Analysts and have contributed extensively to the work done by the Association, I offer them my sincere thanks and best wishes in their retirement. Unfortunately however, this is further evidence of the decline in importance of Public Analyst work within local authorities. In the last 10 years over half of the statutory food analysts have retired or lost their jobs. If this decline is not stopped very soon it will result in an increase in food safety and fraud incidents".
Norman Michie joined Edinburgh Public Analyst service in 1983 and subsequently gained his MChemA. Norman took his first Public Analyst appointment in the Durham laboratory in 1988 as deputy laboratory head before moving in 1993 to Aberdeen to take on the position of head of laboratory. Norman has served the Association of Public Analysts both in Scotland and nationally with distinction. He was president of APA from 2004-6 and also chairman of APA Scotland.
David Bryce has worked in Aberdeen Public Analyst laboratory for 30 years becoming deputy head in 1990.
At a celebration retiral dinner in Aberdeen Jane Couper Chairman of the Association of Public Analysts Scotland presented Norman Michie with an engraved hip flask and David Bryce with an engraved beer tankard. Both gifts came with suitable refreshments
|
