Returning to the Reebok
June 1st 2008 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 the 8th and 9th of 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 which those that work in engineering, manufacturing, construction and the public sector face every day while the exhibitors offer a broad range of pertinent products and services. It is clear that the Health and Safety 08 events have been designed with HSM's readers very much in mind so here, HSM editor Georgina Bisby looks at what makes the show so successful and what will be on offer in Bolton
The first of the Health and Safety 08 events held in February at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey was very successful with a mix of seminar content and a diverse range of the top companies exhibiting safety products and services. With 50% more exhibitors at Bolton this year, the Northern leg of the event is already shaping up to be incredibly valuable for HSM 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 industryspecific 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.
This theory has been successfully proven by the increasing number of visitors to the shows - a record number attended the Southern stretch of the event at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey. In fact, there was a rise in visitor numbers of over 20% 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.
Seminar programme announced
One of the most popular attractions of Health and Safety 08 – North for HSM readers 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 practical topics such as 'Protection against burn injury from electric arc' and 'Hearing protection – just legal or just right?', as well as wider issues like risk management, insurance and the Corporate Manslaughter Act. A full programme of seminars can be found at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk. Having seen 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.
While the free seminars are very attractive to potential visitors, the exhibition element of Health and Safety 08 is also impressive with a great many of the well known names in the health and safety industry exhibiting their product or service offerings. Another major strength of the event is the informal discussions which can be had with the experienced advisors from the best safety manufacturers and service providers in the World.
Not so long ago it would have been considered unusual for the largest safety companies to place as much emphasis on a regional event as they would a national one. However, the impressive list of exhibitors at Health and Safety 08 – North clearly demonstrates that the tide is changing in this respect featuring from the PPE sector alone, such well known names as Ansell, DuPont and Aearo.
Key industry bodies exhibiting Health and Safety 08 – North also provides visitors with a fantastic opportunity to talk to key industry bodies, professional and trade associations such as IOSH, the Health & Safety Executive, the Asbestos Control and Abatement Division (ACAD) and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), all of who are exhibing at the Reebok stadium in October. For a full list of exhibitors visit: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk.
While the above is just a small taste of what visitors can expect to find at Health and Safety 08 - North, HSM believes that the Bolton event represents a great use of time for visitors. The venue 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 is via: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk or for those without internet access registration can be completed by calling the exhibition helpline on: 0870 4866816. More articles from Western Business Exhibitions: | 
