Franklin-Lees Medal

Recognising excellence in process safety and loss prevention

Ned Franklin was a past president of IChemE and a major personality in the development of the nuclear power industry. Frank Lees, a professor of chemical engineering at Loughborough University, made major contributions to safety literature including the iconic book Lees' Loss Prevention in the Process Industries.

The Franklin-Lees Medal is open to nominees from both academia and industry and recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to occupational health, safety, loss prevention, and environmental care, OR have produced impactful research and publications within IChemE journals, books, and web resources.

Nominations are sought from anyone interested in the subject area, including IChemE’s Safety and Loss Prevention Special Interest Group, or shortlisted entries from editors of relevant publications.

The Special Interest Group Committee recommend a winner to the Medals and Prizes Committee.

Judging criteria

Criteria the Franklin-Lees Medal will be judged against are:

  1. length of contribution
  2. importance of contribution (external impact), or
  3. readability, presentation, originality and technical merit of associated publication, as well as its’ impact on reader.

How to submit a nomination

To make a nomination for the Franklin-Lees Medal, open the online nomination form and complete the information requested, paying attention to the criteria the medal will be judged against.

Please note the following:

  • additional documents submitted outside the information provided in the nomination form will not be considered by the judges (unless specified otherwise)
  • we do not accept self-nominations
  • we do not accept nominations for sitting members of the Board of Trustees
  • unless indicated otherwise, medals/prizes are generally awarded to individuals – a single medal shall be presented in all cases.

Contact medals@icheme.org for more information.

Previous Franklin Medal winners

  • 2026 — D Stewart Scott
  • 2025 – D Green
  • 2024 – G Carroll
  • 2020 – P Carson
  • 2018 – D W Edwards
  • 2017 – H J Michels
  • 2016 – C Phang
  • 2013 – I Travers
  • 2011 – K J Patterson
  • 2010 – D Carter (posthumously)
  • 2009 – A L Ormond
  • 2008 – F K Crawley
  • 2007 – M Considine
  • 2006 – J Atherton
  • 2005 – G A Chamberlain
  • 2004 – A H Fishwick
  • 2003 – G Saville
    2003 – S M Richardson
  • 2001 – M J Pantony
  • 2000 – H A Duxbury
  • 1999 – K Cassidy
  • 1998 – N Gibson
  • 1997 – R Turney
  • 1996 – J Bond
  • 1995 – R Gowland
  • 1994 – K N Palmer
  • 1993 – V C Marshall
  • 1992 – T A Kletz
  • 1991 – J McQuaid
  • 1990 – S J Skinner
  • 1989 – J Burgoyne
  • 1988 – T A Kantyka

Previous Lees Medal winners

  • 2026 – R Stokes
  • 2023 – P Marsh
  • 2021 – A Hynds and S Templeton
  • 2020 – M Rantell
  • 2019 – M Lynch
  • 2018 – K P Miller
    Quantifying Risk and How It All Goes Wrong
  • 2017 – S C O’Hern, M C Stern, D M Anderson, A Ibarreta and T J Myers 
  • 2015 – F Macleod
  • 2012 – A J Wilday, N Paltrinieri, R Farret, J Hebrard and L Breedveld
  • 2010 – H T Dearden
  • 2009 – H Mahgerefteh, S Brown, M Bilio and M Fairweather
  • 2008 – C J Beale
  • 2007 – S Connolly and L Cusco
  • 2006 – G Atkinson and N Riley
  • 2005 – L Fernie and J M Fearnley
  • 2004 – BP
  • 2003 – B R Harris
  • 2002 – T A Roberts, I G Buckland and H Beckett 
  • 2000 – H Conlin