Tribute from Yvonne Anderson
I had always heard the name “Paul Brown” but I never met him until 2024 when I was
desperately seeking a Master of Ceremonies for an annual OSH event hosted by my workplace.
Mr. Brown was recommended to me by Dr. Norbert Campbell; I was a little apprehensive to
approach him because I did not know him personally. Anyway, I did, and I must say I never
regretted it. That was the day (unbeknownst to him) that I decided that he would be the
resident MC for the event. He was articulate, knowledgeable, and engaging. I again approached
him in 2025 and he accepted my invitation, he executed his duties even better than the
previous year. So, as you would imagine he was already booked (in my mind) for 2026, but alas I
did not get the chance to invite him. I am glad that I had gotten the chance to thank for his
support and let him know that he was the best MC I had ever had in the 9 years of staging this
event.I did not know him as long as many, however I am happy to have met him and enjoyed
the few discussions that we had and the lessons he taught me. He will be truly missed.
Tribute from Conliffe Wilmot-Simpson
I first met Paul Brown in the mid-1990s, when he as a Safety Engineer performed duties at the
then Breadnut Valley Mining Operations, near to Mocho in Clarendon. We interacted through
his many functions including Inspections, Investigations, Audits and the dread of so many from
the EHS Department – being the presenter of the Monthly Safety Report to an audience that
was very alert and that asked probing questions. But Paul was brave and his forthrightness
meant that quickly he was not seen as an adversary.
For Paul, understanding and managing safety was not an occupation, but a way of life. He
understood and appreciated among other things:
- The working of Systems and how individual well intentioned efforts could be wasted
unless they were an integrated part of a larger whole. - The importance of Management Commitment and Leadership in the safety
improvement processes. Like all of us, at time he was impatient with the pace of change,
but that did not unduly discourage him - The cultural nuances and uniqueness of the Jamaican workplace and at time the
importance of almost subverting what was commonly known and accepted, to make a
difference. His LinkedIn Post on Safety Culture showed a depth of understanding of the
topic.
Paul was very passionate about the much debated and beaten up Jamaica Occupation and
Safety Act 2017, which was intended to replace the Factories Act of 1943. It is now setting
records in term of its journey through the Legislative maze, final draft reaching the desks of a
generation of Ministers of Labour, and still far away from being made into law. We joked that
maybe we would not see it enacted during our lifetime. Unfortunately for Paul, this proved to
be true.
I remember his as a team player in company activities. He could be depended on to support
extracurricular activities and events; he was a frequent user to the Sports Club. I remember his
assistance late into the night during the setting up, and dismantling of the displays for the
company’s participation in the Green Expo at the National Arena. And of course he manned the
booth for far many more hours than he was rostered.
We stayed in contact during his time at UWI, Juicy and UDC. Paul was an avid searcher for new
knowledge. He was a passionate debater not only on Safety, but on any topic that you could
choose. He was a lover of the creative arts and we had many discussions on the influence of
music on behavior in general and risky behavior in particular. We had planned more than once
to celebrate culture at the Calabash Literary Festival but were never able to make it happen.
Paul has gone ahead on the road that we all will travel. We wish him well. I close with these
words from the poem; For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
