The Safety & Health Expo will return to the Birmingham NEC in May and will offer a range of CPD opportunities for visitors. Industrial Compliance magazine takes a closer look at the 2012 event
Following last year’s Löfstedt Review, which called to reduce the burden of legislation whilst maintaining health and safety outcomes, it has become imperative that safety industry professionals remain abreast of developments and take advantage of ongoing learning and networking opportunities from all aspects of the health and safety industry.
With that in mind, the Safety & Health Expo taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 15th-17th May, will offer a vital CPD opportunity for practitioners across the spectrum of protection and management. The event, which will run alongside the complimentary Facilities Show and IFSEC International, is also free to attend for pre-registered visitors.
Safety & Health Expo is run in partnership with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Institute of Safety & Health (IOSH), all of which bring to the show a multitude of experience and expertise along with the enthusiasm for ongoing professional development which is instrumental to the show’s ongoing success.
Keep your finger on the pulse
Rob Strange OBE, IOSH chief executive, highlighted the importance of taking opportunities to share expertise. He said, “It’s a pleasure for IOSH to be a key partner and to support the Safety and Health Expo 2012. As one of the biggest events in the health and safety calendar, the Expo is the perfect opportunity for all those working in the industry and profession to get together, network and share good practice ideas.
“This year is set to be interesting for the industry. I’m sure there’s plenty more to come from the government and its ongoing battle to boost the UK economy by attempting to cut back on what it refers to as health and safety ‘red tape’. During times like these, events like Safety & Health Expo give safety and health professionals the opportunity to keep in-tune with changes and continue to make a difference to the world of work.”
The IOSH stand and mini-lecture theatre will be offering a full three day schedule of informative presentations and, with more theatre sessions than in previous years, this will be a key area where visitors will be able to learn about IOSH membership, training products and development fund opportunities.
A high priority
Working at height remains a key topic for all sectors of the industry, with deaths and injuries resulting from falls from height an ongoing concern. In response to this, the Access Industry Forum (AIF) has an ambitious programme of topics and speakers lined up for this year’s Knowledge Base. Topics include ‘The Löfstedt Review and the Work at Height Regulations’, ‘Is claim to blame?’, and an update on last year’s ground breaking discussion, ‘In search of the Holy Grail: No more working at height accidents ever’, featuring contributions from RoSPA, IOSH, HSE, IIRSM and BSC. The popular ‘Ask the Experts’ sessions, now in their eighth year, include panel discussions, debates and demonstrations about advancing safety, best practice and competency when working at height.
Adrian Newton, safety and building management portfolio director at B2B event organiser, UBM, said, “We’re delighted to welcome back the Working at Height Knowledge Base for the third time after two extremely successful years since its launch in 2010. This is an area of the safety industry which cannot be underestimated in its importance and one which we know our visitors are keen to keep abreast of.”
A good meeting point
The face to face nature of Safety & Health Expo, combined with the fact that it has become an annual meeting place for professionals from all over the UK and Europe, make it a convenient and efficient networking environment which lends itself to sharing experiences and best practice. Visitors will have the opportunity to get answers from speakers and exhibitors which are tailored precisely for them and their business needs.
Tom Mullarkey, chief executive of RoSPA, commented, “RoSPA is looking forward to Safety and Health Expo 2012. Each year, Expo provides us with a valuable opportunity to meet a huge number of dedicated safety professionals from across the UK and overseas who work tirelessly to keep their colleagues healthy and safe, ensure legal compliance and crucially, given the current financial climate, protect their organisation’s bottom line. Meeting visitors face to face enables us to discuss with them in detail the assistance they require, which might be a RoSPA membership package, training for themselves as safety professionals (or their directors, senior managers or wider workforce), or bespoke consultancy or audit services. Many Expo visitors also talk to us about our 95 year history as a campaigning accident prevention charity and the national policy discussions we’re involved in. This year, I’m sure the implications of the Löfstedt Review and the ongoing economic challenges will be among the topics of discussion on our stand.”
Safety and Health Expo 2012
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