SafeWork SA last night announced it had appointed its acting executive director, Glenn Farrell, to permanently take on the leadership role from Monday.

Farrell has worked at SafeWork SA since 2004 and previously led Rolls-Royce in England at a site that manufactures jet engines for the commercial aerospace industry.

As SafeWork SA executive director, Farrell will be tasked with overseeing the agency’s work upholding the state’s workplace health and safety laws. He will also be charged with implementing recommendations of a recent independent review into the regulator.

“Like with any new leader of an agency, it’s important to recognise the great work that has been done over the past few years and build on this to continue to serve the South Australian public in the best way possible, to make workplaces safe through education, compliance and enforcement,” Farrell said.

“Collaboration is the key to making this happen and I look forward to working with many different stakeholders to achieve our shared interests.”

Farrell takes over from former Safework SA executive director Martyn Campbell, who left the agency at the end of last year to pursue a career in the mining sector.

The agency was also left without a director of workplace education and business services in December, following Prema Osborne’s resignation.