The tools of the trade

Events such as these serve to remind us of the enormous innovative appetite of the health and safety industry and, therefore, how important it is to keep regularly up-to-date with the latest market trends and developments.

Around 8,000 visitors are expected to descend upon Birmingham's NEC for the event, on 14th to 16th May, to see 250 exhibitors. With time and resources forever stretched, exhibitions are a useful way of meeting a number of key suppliers all under one roof, trialling and comparing countless products and making the most of what are often free and ever more ingenious learning opportunities.

Outside of trade shows, organisations with an immediate need to purchase health and safety equipment can turn to Health & Safety Matters (HSM) to provide them with regular updates on products and services that can improve the health and safety of their workforce. 

Eight times a year, HSM magazine features a comprehensive and essential buyer's guide to the newest products and solutions in the marketplace.

Information on the latest products and services can also be accessed 24/7, 365 days a year on our new and improved website, www.hsmsearch.com.

This free tool allows users to search quickly and easily by product type or industry sector, offering handy comparisons between similar products and direct links to a host of leading suppliers.

The website also features the latest news, views, issues and legislative updates from the world of health and safety, keeping you abreast of industry developments as they happen.

There is a growing recognition that online tools that offer accessible and digestible information and guidance have an important role to play in helping to change the perception of health and safety as complicated and burdensome, particularly for SMEs.

In the past six months, a number of online tools have been launched, including: IOSH's Safe Start Up website; the HSE's tool kit for small and low-risk businesses; RoSPA's workplace safety blog; and the British Safety Council's progress report on the changes emerging out of the Löfstedt review. 

Navigating the changing regulatory landscape and ensuring that an organisation is compliant will be tough and time-consuming for health and safety professionals in the months and years ahead, but help is at hand with more information and advice at your fingertips than ever before.