Everything under one roof
August 1st 2008

Building on the success of previous events, the Northern stretch of the Health & Safety 08 regional series of events promises to provide visitors with even more in the way of educational content and exhibitors. Health and Safety 08 – North, sponsored by DuPont, will take place at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton on the 8th and 9th of October. The event combines a high quality seminar programme with an exhibition supported by the major manufacturers and service providers in the safety industry. Here Georgina Bisby of Health & Safety Matters looks at what visitors can expect to find at The Reebok.

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 engineering, manufacturing, construction and the public sector to remain fully up to speed with the latest regulations, information and products within the health and safety arena. To help all 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.

Easy to get to venue With a focused seminar programme and a mix of exhibitors that rivals any national exhibition, Health and Safety 08 - North represents a great use of time for readers of HSM. Not only is the venue easy to get to, but parking is free too, making the whole experience relatively stress free and affordable. The ever increasing exhibitor and visitor numbers show that these events are undoubtedly becoming an essential diary date for anyone involved in health and safety across a multitude of industries. Best of all, the regional nature of these events mean that they can be slotted into the normal working day - visitors can pop along to attend the seminar they are particularly interested in, visit a couple of the exhibitors and still be back at work in time for that important meeting.

Free seminar programme One of the most popular attractions of Health and Safety 08 – North for readers of HSM has to be the free seminar programme developed in conjunction with industry organisations such as the Manchester and North West Districts Branch of IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health). Papers are to be delivered by industry experts and IOSH members and will cover issues like risk management and insurance as well as more practical topics. The full seminar programme is available to view at www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk and it is definitely advisable to register in advance to guarantee a place.

Examining 'human factors' According to recent statistics from the HSE, up to 80% of accidents in the workplace can be attributed to human error, referred to as 'human factors'. Human factors can include: poor design, poor maintenance, attitude to health and safety in the workplace, inadequate training or supervision, poor work planning and organisation.

Among the educational highlights is the first of the IOSH seminars on day one, 8th October 2008, 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 provide an introduction to the Inspector's human factors tool kit.

In the afternoon on day one, Nick Wharton, considers 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 Behavioral 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.

Are you prepared for an accident? 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 therefore 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 businesses.

Understanding the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act For those particularly interested in the impact of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act which came into force on 6th April this year, there is a seminar from Kevin Bridges on the morning of day two while the seminar on the second day from Neil Budworth looks at risk management and its influence on health and safety in practice.

How to approach insurance Other highlights on day two, 9th October 2008, include a seminar from Mike Flannery which 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.

Focus on asbestos Also of interest on day two will be the seminar from Sarah Brown about 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 the 13th October 2008 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.

Universal areas of concern Both days of the event will see examination of subjects of universal concern such as hearing protection. 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.

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