Look,listen and learn

The first of a series of regional Health and Safety events for 2011 takes place at Sandown Park Racecourse on 1st and 2nd March. Along with event partners 3M, Ansell,Arco and Dupont,Health and Safety '11 - South is supported by the British Safety Council and officially endorsed by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM)

The event promises to be a valuable source of information for the health and safety professional and a popular attraction for visitors. In addition to an exhibition supported by many of the key players in the health and safety industry, there is a conference and seminar programme which includes sessions organised by the event's official educational partner, the British Safety Council.

Seminar subjects are in tune with the issues that are affecting the industry right now, providing practical information and advice for attendees. An example of this is the seminar by Dr. Paul Almond, senior lecturer at the School of Law, University of Reading. He will give a summary of Lord Young's controversial health and safety review - 'Common Sense, Common Safety' that was published in October 2010.

The presentation aims to summarise the key recommendations of the report before going on to critically evaluate the approach taken and the proposals made. It will conclude by looking ahead to assess the likely impact that the proposals would have in the future. This should prove of interest to anyone with an interest in politics and the practice of health and safety more generally.

General health and well-being in the workplace have, in recent years, been highlighted as major concerns for business and musculoskeletal disorders are the second highest cause of working days lost after mental health issues. To address this topic, Samantha Kee from Kee Anatomy Training will deliver her seminar titled 'Good Health and Well-Being in the Workplace = Good Business'. The presentation looks at the health and cost benefits of involving the workforce in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders. Three scenarios will be discussed to illustrate how management can design a working environment that allows an 18 year-old apprentice, a 63 year-old man who is about to retire and a 4ft 11in woman to work safely.

It is Kee's belief that if industry is going to effectively manage the impact of musculoskeletal disorders then the workforce must play an integral role in the design and development of health and safety working practices. Delegates to this seminar will also gain a clearer understanding of the impact that non-work activities can play on worker productivity and quality of working life.

Something slightly different this year is the drama-based presentation entitled 'Safety Leadership and Culture' which will be delivered by Shaun Curry and Harry Gallagher from Drama Based Learning. The session promises to be interactive, practical, memorable, powerful, effective and enjoyable and Curry and Gallagher say their style of drama-based safety programmes effect a long-term change in attitude - not just a short term change in behaviour and help to build lasting positive cultural change.

In addition, Kevin Bridges and Zöe Betts from Pinsent Masons LLP will give a legal health and safety update with their presentation entitled 'The significance of setting the right tone at the top'. It will give an insight into potential new risks facing businesses as a result of developments in health and safety law in recent years. It will also include Lord Young's review, Corporate Manslaughter, the new sentencing guidelines, trends in fines, personal liability of directors and senior management and some simple legal preventative measures organisations can take as part of an incident response protocol.

Each year the organiser works in partnership with many of the UK's top safety product and service providers, as well as leading safety industry organisations to provide an exhibition and conference programme that is both dynamic and topical.

These elements combine to ensure that visitors are offered a valuable experience in terms of knowledge gained and the opportunity to network with other professionals in the health and safety industry.