The former CEO of Vandeputte Safety Experts and the honorary chairman of the Belgian Safety Federation Febelsafe, Gilbert Vandeputte (90) passed away yesterday.

In Gilbert Vandeputte, the world of health & safety is losing a figurehead.

Gilbert’s entire life revolved around health & safety. He put the topic on the agenda in Belgium and subsequently worked to see a consistent policy put in place across Europe.
Even after he retired, he continued to work with passion to achieve safe working environments. He kept his finger on the pulse of the latest developments, and his vision was nothing short of forward-thinking.

The institution of the Vandeputte Chair at Antwerp University in 2014 is living proof of this dedication.
Gilbert Vandeputte’s aim was for the Chair to lend a powerful boost to scientific research into creating a workplace health & safety culture. “Scientific research needs to ensure that people’s behaviour becomes more safety-aware in due course” he commented.

As the son of the founders of the Vandeputte company, it was always written in the stars that he would end up in the world of health & safety. Under the watchful eye of his parents, he and his brothers transformed the family business which specialised in leather gloves into a manufacturer of “Personal Protective Equipment”. And thus, Vandeputte - Safety Experts saw the light of day.

Over the years, the interest taken by government and employers in health & safety only increased, which in turn saw the company grow. Gilbert Vandeputte was one of the champions who fought to secure the introduction of the ground-breaking 1996 Welfare at Work Act in Belgium.

With the institution of the Belgian Febelsafe federation, he encouraged the manufacturers and distributors of PPM to join forces. Later on, he went on to assume the same role at the European ESF Federation.

Our thoughts go out to his family. We wish them much strength.