04 September 2009
Louis Wustemann

Health and Safety '09 - North, sponsored by DuPont, will take place at The Reebok Stadium in Bolton on 6 and 7 October. The event enables safety professionals and anyone whose remit includes health and safety to find the latest information and products in a time-efficient and cost-effective way.

One of the main attractions of the Bolton event is the free conference and seminar programme that includes sessions organised by the event's official educational partner, the British Safety Council (BSC). The seminar topics have been chosen by BSC to provide maximum benefit to visitors.

 The programme includes a seminar on helping young workers manage the risks they will face in the workplace, presented by Neil Stone from BSC. This seminar is particularly relevant to those who need to employ young seasonal workers such as students. According to BSC, young people are twice as likely to have an accident at work as their adult co-workers. This seminar will survey the efforts made by the major safety bodies to raise young people's awareness of the risk of injury and ill health.

The GMB union's former director of health and environment and now head of Bryson Consulting, Nigel Bryson, will host a session titled People Support What They Help Create, focusing on the business benefits that effective workforce involvement brings, including accident reductions and productivity and service performance increases, supported by case studies.

Psychologist and trainer Tim Marsh promises insights into the role that individual perception and values have in determining employees' commitment (or otherwise) to a positive safety culture.

Neil Budworth, corporate health and safety manager at energy giant E.ON,
will review the cost of health-related worklessness in the UK and the safety practitioner's role in managing down ill health. Continuing the theme on the second day, Steve Sumner of the Local Government Employers body will consider the challenges of containing sickness absence in an ageing public-sector workforce coping with stressful reorganisation.

As well as the most topical issues, the educational programme also continues to visit perennial issues such as hearing protection. On day one of the event,
Jo Partridge of 3M will discuss hearing protection, real-world attenuation and derating, with the aim of offering advice on an issue that still causes confusion. Tom Andrews of Ansell UK will brief delegates on using the correct gloves in managing chemical risk. Ian Sampson, sales and training specialist at event sponsors DuPont, will pick his way through the European Standards for chemical protection and explain what to look for in Type 5 and 6 chemical protective garments. A full programme of seminars can be found at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk

Floor show

The list of companies exhibiting their products and services at the event includes many providers of personal protective equipment, such as glove specialists Ansell and Marigold Industries, safety eyewear providers Scott Health and Safety and DuPont with its innovative workwear.

The exhibition also boasts training providers such as Training 2000, which offers courses on mobile access platforms, reach trucks and counterbalance trucks. Arco will be celebrating its 125th anniversary at this year's show with a series of catwalk shows on the stadium's mezzanine level. 

Alongside the commercial providers, several high-profile institutions have also booked space at the event and their representatives will be available to offer advice on a range of safety issues.

The HSE will be manning a stall to demonstrate its revamped website and provide insights into its work, as well as leading seminar sessions to provide updates on its recent asbestos and slips and trips campaigns. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health will also be represented to assist both members and non-members.

The high quality, free education, locally delivered approach is proving popular, as the regional Health and Safety series of events, organised by Western Business Exhibitions, is being expanded for 2010 with the addition of a third event in Scotland on 15 and 16 September 2010 at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh.

Scotland, with its diverse industries, presents some challenging health and safety problems. Sectors such as agriculture and petrochemicals bring a higher incidence of injury and death than is expected from a population of just over five million people.

Until now, direct access to independent safety information, product manufacturers and service providers has been sporadic. The launch of Health and Safety - Scotland next year will reduce the need for people to travel south of the border to fulfil their safety sourcing needs.

Registering for the events or seminars is free. Register online at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk or by calling the event helpline on tel 0844 545 0046.

Categories:
Professional Skills, Features