Health & safety in the spotlight

Appealing to time-pressured visitors from across a range of industry sectors, the event is taking place at the same time and in the same location as Maintec, Facilities Management 2015 and Cleaning 2015.

The comprehensive conference programme, organised by IIRSM comprises topics that cover the latest risk and safety issues. The presenters are acknowledged experts, able to deliver insight and relevant experience across a wide range of industries. For example, Dr. Gayle Brewer, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, will deliver a seminar called ‘An Introduction to Psychosocial Risks’.

The seminar will look at risks such as stress, bullying and harassment which are slowly becoming recognised as key occupational health challenges in the workplace. Although these problems can go unnoticed in the workplace, recently they have become more prominent as a result of working methods such as shift work. Dr Brewer aims to help organisations understand and put in place different types of interventions in order to tackle these issues.

Additionally, Emma Cundiff’s seminar ‘Developing a risk management programme’ builds a bridge between Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Occupational Safety and Health, which on the surface are two worlds that are diametrically opposed. Cundiff believes that the skills used in the two disciplines are similar and therefore the two worlds have synergies that it is advantageous to explore. There is also very real movement in the market whereby those with responsibility for safety and health are having other, aligned responsibilities ‘tagged on’ to their role. Amongst these are ‘the environment’ and increasingly ‘risk management’.

As well as the conferences, other educational activities will be taking place at the event, such as ‘Safety Dialogue’, a round table discussion involving a live panel during which experts discuss the latest issues and open up the floor to questions from the audience. 

Other free educational activities include practical seminars from the event’s partners and the newly introduced ‘Safer Logistics Seminar Theatre’ and ‘Feature Area’, which promises visitors a wealth of education and advice tackling safety hot spots in warehousing and logistics. The aim of Safer Logistics is to encourage managers in the supply chain to take a proactive approach to safety. This is an easy thing to say, but difficult to put into practice and sustain. It can only be achieved when management takes the initiative. The Health & Safety Event has put in place this element as it is seen as an important opportunity for managers to learn and to reach out to partners that can help them improve the safety of their operations.

Safer Logistics is sponsored by Toyota, and supported by partners such as Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA), the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA), and the Food Storage and Distribution Federation (FSDF), which together will bring their unwavering commitment to work safety and breadth of expertise to the exhibition. For example up for panel discussion is the subject of sprinkler use in the warehouse. 

As well as the educational content of the event, the major attraction is a substantial exhibition where many of the biggest names in health and safety can be found. Major equipment vendors, service providers and distributors will have experts available to answer queries.

Scotland

Following a successful move to Glasgow's SECC in 2013, Health & Safety Scotland will return on 22nd and 23rd April 2015. For more information on who's exhibiting both at the NEC event and at the Glasgow event, and to find out more about the seminars and event partner sessions, please visit: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk.