Government Business

Following the success of Health and Safety 08 at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey, earlier this year, the second in the series of regional exhibitions and conferences, sponsored by DuPont™, will take place at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton on 8-9 October.
    
The events combine a high quality seminar programme with an exhibition supported by the major manufacturers and service providers in the safety industry. The seminar content relates directly to the health and safety issues that those who work in the public sector face every day, while the exhibitors offer a broad range of pertinent products and services.

Being in the know
With health and safety regulations getting increasingly more stringent and the importance of staff welfare and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment a regular topic for public debate, it is essential for those in the public sector to remain fully up to speed with the latest regulations, information and products within the health and safety arena. To help professionals meet this challenge the second in the Health and Safety 08 series of regional exhibitions and conferences is one of the most comprehensive sources of information and advice available.
    
The first of the Health and Safety 08 events held in February at Sandown Park was very successful with a mix of seminar content and a diverse range of the top companies exhibiting safety products and services. With 50 per cent more exhibitors at Bolton this year, the Northern leg of the event is already shaping up to be incredibly valuable for Government Business readers.
    
So what makes this relatively new series of events so successful? An essential ingredient must surely be the locations. As the speed of modern life increases the time to attend training seminars, educative courses and industry-specific exhibitions has come under pressure. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the latest research shows that those attending national exhibitions are coming from less far afield.             

Indeed for those in the North and North West area the prospect of negotiating the M6 and the M1 to get to Birmingham is too hideous to contemplate. The Health and Safety 08 events seek to provide the answer to this with the northern event being easily accessible from the M61 and having plentiful free parking.
    
The increasing number of visitors to the shows has successfully proved this theory - a record number attended the Southern stretch of the event. In fact, there was a rise in visitor numbers of over 20 per cent, all attracted by the fact that they could drive quickly to the location, park for free and profitably spend their day attending key seminars and speaking to manufacturers and service providers to discuss their individual applications and problems. Equally, those who would never usually find the time to attend such an event were able to target their seminars, speak with a variety of product and service providers and still have time to get into work either before or after their visit. That’s the beauty of a regional event.

Key features
One of the most popular attractions of Health and Safety 08 – North for readers of Government Business has to be the free seminar programme developed in conjunction with industry organisations such as the Manchester and North West Districts Branch of IOSH. Papers are to be delivered by a raft of industry experts and IOSH members, and will cover issues like risk management and insurance as well as more practical topics such as ergonomics and an update on the HSE’s Asbestos Campaign. A full programme of seminars can be found at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk . Having heard about the large audiences at the Sandown event it is advisable to register in advance for seminars. At least that way you will get a set of papers and a seat!

The human factor
According to recent statistics published by the HSE, up to 80 per cent of accidents in the workplace can be attributed to human error, referred to as ‘human factors’. Human factors can include such issues as poor design, poor maintenance, attitude to health and safety in the workplace, inadequate training or supervision, poor work planning and organisation.
    
Amongst the educational highlights at the event is the first of the IOSH seminars on 8 October, which looks at manual handling in light of this information in a paper entitled ‘Ergonomics = Human Factors – a World Beyond Manual Handling’. Delivered by Jon Anslow, the presentation will provide an overview of human factors in health and safety at work today, look at the HSE’s approach, and also provide an introduction to the “Inspector’s human factors tool kit”.
    
In the afternoon on day one, Nick Wharton will consider the human factor of attitude to health and safety in the workplace and how accidents in the workplace caused by a poor attitude can be prevented. Nick’s seminar entitled ‘Engaging People with a Cultural and Behavioural Approach to Safety’ looks at the challenges businesses face in getting everyone’s buy-in to health and safety approaches due to the differences in their attitudes, values and beliefs. Delegates attending this seminar will get advice from Nick on how to handle these problems as well as some recommended solutions that can really make a difference.
    
The first day will also offer presentations giving practical advice about construction health and safety and HAV risk management. The first of these is from Mike Battman who will look at the various health and safety issues and challenges that face the construction industry. Secondly, Peter Wilson will discuss ‘HAV Risk Management Best Practice’ where he will provide a definitive and pragmatic guide to current best practice as well as debunking the prevalent and costly myths associated with vibration measurement and PPE.

Investigating accidents
Featuring on both days of the event is a seminar from John Norton-Doyle of Principal People who will be looking at ‘Accident & Incident Management and Investigation’. His seminar examines the fact that many organisations, both large and small, are totally unprepared to deal with a serious accident when it occurs.
    
In light of the now very real possibility of charges for Corporate Manslaughter being brought against a company, John will look at what organisations can do and what they should be prepared for. The seminar will address a number of topics starting with the management of accidents before, during and afterwards by looking at preparedness and pitfalls. It will then go on to consider the key stakeholders and their requirements as well as discussing how to be a learning organisation. Finally, helpful techniques for accident and incident management and investigation will be outlined, which delegates will be able to use within their own organisation.

The insurance issue
Highlights on day two include a seminar from Mike Flannery who looks at how insurance fits in with health and safety and how the two areas can in fact complement each other if approached in the right manner. It would seem that currently it is only in the largest organisations that insurance and health and safety are viewed as equal and mutually beneficial partners in the management of risk. Mike’s presentation ‘Insurance – Friend or Foe’ will examine practical, tried and tested ways for a company to leverage its health and safety programme to achieve significant impact on its insurances, as well as how businesses can use their insurers to assist in progressing health and safety programmes that may benefit from external assistance and finance.
    
Also of interest on day two will be the seminar from Sarah Brown about the perennial issue of asbestos management. The presentation will feature an update on current asbestos issues and recent initiatives, including a summary of the HSE’s asbestos campaign, which will launch with national media coverage on 13 October based on the success of the pilot media campaign run in North West England. The HSE’s campaign is designed to raise awareness of the risk of exposure to the substantial amounts of asbestos still contained in many buildings. Sarah’s presentation will also focus on the work that the HSE has done nationally with key stakeholders to promote the campaign and its messages, and to distribute campaign materials.
    
For those particularly interested in the impact of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, which came into force on 6 April this year, there is a seminar from Kevin Bridges on the morning of day two whilst the seminar on the second day from Neil Budworth looks at risk management and its influence on health and safety in practice.
    
Universal areas of concern, such as hearing protection, are discussed on both days of the event. Mike Denton of Aearo, will discuss ‘Hearing Protection – Just Legal or Just Right?’ and will help provide guidance through the maze of terminology associated with this area. Practical advice relating to Personal Protective Equipment is also well represented on both days with seminars from official sponsor DuPont™, about the correct method of selecting and using chemical protective clothing as well as protection against burn injury from electric arc. Additionally, Nigel Maddison from INBUREX on behalf of Ansell Healthcare will look at the hazards associated with electrostatic discharges and how to manage them safely.
    
The Reebok Stadium has been chosen for ease of access and boasts ample free parking while the educational content addresses the most topical and pressing safety issues. The exhibition rivals that of any national show and the event is geared to provide a worthwhile experience for the time-pressured visitor.
    
Registering for the event or a seminar is free. However, visitors are advised to do so in advance to guarantee a place. Registration can be done via www.healthandsafety08.co.uk or by calling the exhibition helpline on: 0870 4866816.