Set for success at Sandown Park

Health & Safety South is the first of three regional events organised by Western Business Exhibitions for 2013. It takes place on 12th and 13th March at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher. In addition to an exhibition featuring many of the top names in health and safety, there is a topical conference programme and plenty of opportunity for networking

The conference programme, organised in conjunction with the British Safety Council, covers a wide range of the most relevant and pertinent topics affecting UK industries today and is delivered by some of the most respected experts.

Opening the conference with the seminar 'Current Developments on the Reform Agenda' is Philip White, chief inspector of the Construction Division, HSE. As the current health and safety reform agenda gathers pace, the seminar will give an update on progress, including the implementation of the Lofstedt report and the early experiences of fee for intervention. Particular reference will also be made to the current health and safety challenges in the construction industry, including the proposed revision of the CDM Regulatory package and HSE's future priorities for the industry.

Additionally Chris Green, Head of Regulatory Services in the Midlands for Weightmans LLP, will be presenting a seminar called 'Directors in the Dock-Could it be you?' Aimed at all employers as well as health and safety practitioners, the seminar will look at the HSE's Fee for Intervention (FFI) cost recovery scheme six months on and how it has affected industry. The seminar will also cover enforcement and inspection of safety in the Coalition era; charging for inspectors, common sense safety and the procedure for appealing enforcement notices.

Highlighting the fact that he believes health and safety should facilitate business is Shaun Davis, group director of Safety, Health & Wellbeing, Royal Mail Group with his seminar 'The Health and Safety Professional as a Business Partner'.

Commenting on the seminar which is aimed at all health and safety professionals, Davis said "Business Partnering works really well in HR so why can't it work in health and safety? HR business partnering is a wellknown process whereby HR professionals work closely with business leaders and/or line managers to achieve shared organisational objectives. With this 'track record' of success I'm pretty certain we can all learn from this and apply some of the key techniques to develop stronger relationships within organisations." Davis adds that this process may involve the formal designation of 'Health and Safety Business Partners', which means health and safety professionals who are embedded within the business, and sometimes act as part of a wider process of operations. If this is the case, and Davis proposes that it is, questions arise such as: What is valuable business partnering?, Is there a Return On Investment and, if so, what is it? What does business partnering look like? What does success look like? and many more.

As well as the British Safety Council conference program there are other, more practical, seminars taking place across the two days. Visitors will be able to see vendors and event partners, such as 3M, host practical seminars. 3M has two seminars, the first focuses on 'PPE Compatibility' and the challenges faced when multiple items of PPE are worn. The second addresses 'The Science of Fit': evaluating the interaction between people and PPE products and ways to improve design, fit, comfort and productivity.

Something new for this year's South event is the 'Safety Dialogue' Live Panel which will be held on both days of the event. The panel offers visitors the opportunity to engage with live debates surrounding the most significant issues of the day, and this year the panel of experts will focus on the issues surrounding Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and specifically Face Fit testing for masks. The panel includes experts such as Frank Angear of the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) and Alan McArthur of 3M Safety Solutions.

At the event there will also be a substantial exhibition where many of the leading product and service providers in the health and safety sector will be showing their latest products and will be available to offer advice on the latest technology and business practices.

Health & Safety South is supported by the British Safety Council, Safety Groups UK and recently announced that 3M Safety Solutions is to be the lead sponsor. The event is also officially endorsed by the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM).