Health & Safety North: The biggest and best yet

Running from 10 to 11 October 2017, Health & Safety North - the biggest of its kind in the north of England - is set to attract professionals from across the region for two days of educational seminars, industry debates, networking opportunities and equipment displays. The free event features 36 hours of free conferences and seminars, with 56 outstanding speakers, plus 200 exhibitors displaying the latest technologies, products and services to support safer and healthier workplaces. Moving the show to the centrally-located EventCity, the second largest venue outside London, has enabled Western Business Exhibitions, which organises the event, to add an additional event to run alongside - the inaugural Fire Safety North.

The main conference programme, curated by the event’s educational partner the British Safety Council, promises invaluable presentations from a line-up of industry leaders. Highlights will include a session on the results of a new Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey and a legal update from legal firm Clyde & Co.

Meanwhile, the Safety Dialogue Theatre, sponsored by 3M, provides a forum for panel debates on topics including fall protection, hearing and respiratory health.

Leading industry organisations will be represented at the event, including the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), the Energy Institute and the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM).

Tim Else, event director at Western Business Exhibitions, said: “After 10 excellent years at the Bolton Arena, the growing volume of exhibitors wanting to participate and the growing need to satisfy the educational requirements for the visitors to the event was such that we had to seek a larger venue. By moving to Manchester we have more space to meet that demand.
“There is no other event in the north of England providing this level of education, debate and networking for professionals whose job involves health and safety. With thanks to our partners and sponsors, we’ve put together another great programme and look forward to welcoming the safety and health community to our new home in the North.”Conference Theatre

Main Conference Theatre

Content for Health & Safety North is selected and delivered by the event's Educational Partner The British Safety Council.

Tues 10th October

9.15-10.15
Legal update: Rhian Greaves, Clyde & Co.

Rhian Greaves is a solicitor specialising in health and safety law at legal firm Clyde and Co. She will provide an update on case law and regulatory trends, review the impact of the sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences during the 18 months since introduction, and look forward to consider issues which have the potential to impact on health and safety legislation in the future, including Brexit.

12.00-13.00     
Health and Work - the latest trends and analysis: Sean Subel and Andrew Jack, Britains Healthiest Workplace Survey/FT

Sean Subel is the programme Director for the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace scheme. This innovative, and free to access, tool allows companies to review and benchmark the way that they deal with health and wellbeing issues, and to plan for future developments. Anonymised data is used to produce an annual report featuring trends and analysis to inform discussion and help support continual improvement.

Sean will provide an overview of the scheme, highlight key trends from the, just published, 2017 report, and suggest how businesses can learn lessons from this data to drive improvement in their organisations.

13.30-14.30     
Making beliefs drive behaviours: The 2Macs

The 2 Macs offer an innovative approach to workplace learning. In this interactive session, the team will explore the importance of behaviour change in delivering lasting improvements to health and safety. Delegates will be able to take part in the session, influencing the topics discussed, and the eventual outcome, whilst picking up useful hints and tips to take back to their own organisations.

15.00-16.00     
Mates in Mind: Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty

There is an increasing awareness of the prevalence of mental ill health in the UK and the role that organisations can play in supporting mental wellbeing for their workforce. Heather Bryant, health, safety, environment & sustainability director, Balfour Beatty will discuss the exciting new Mates in Mind initiative which is being launched in the construction sector to help raise awareness of this important issue and ensure that help and support are readily available whenever workers need it.

Weds 11th October

9.15.10.15
A toolkit for wellbeing: Tim Marsh, The Healthy Work Company

Well known author and culture change guru Tim Marsh, founder of RyderMarsh companies and now of the Healthy Work Company, will discuss the rising importance of wellbeing in the workplace. He will offer guidance on addressing this important issue in your workplace and provide case studies to illustrate good practice.

12.00-13.00     
Mock trial - Part 1: Pinsent Masons

14.00-15.00     
Mock trial - Part 2: Pinsent Masons

In this interactive session run by a team of specialist health and safety lawyers from Pinsent Masons, delegates will get to experience a court room situation first hand, listening as witnesses present their evidence, hearing the judge summing up proceedings and then taking on the role of the jury to determine the verdict. This will be followed by a discussion with the Legal Team who will highlight the examine the reasoning and explore the key legal principles involved.

The session follows the trial of a company accused of breaching health and safety legislation following an incident involving a fork lift truck on site. It is you – the audience - who will play the jury and who must decide whether to convict or acquit the accused company. The session will give an insight into the realities of what can go wrong for staff at every level of an organisation and how this can impact on a health and safety prosecution.

Safety Dialogue

The Safety Dialogue Theatre, sponsored by 3m, offers you a unique opportunity to 'Join the Debate' and contribute directly to discussing the topic of the day. Use this chance to share your experience with your peers and network with a panel of recognised authorities on each topic.

Tues 10th Oct
10.30-11.00     
RPE

In this interactive session the Safety Dialogue panel will be advising on awareness, education and managing respiratory hazards in the workplace - including the use of respiratory protection and fit testing.

13.15-13.45     
Hearing

Covering hearing conservation, NIHL and protection from insurance claims for non-work noise exposure, the panel includes experts from BOHS and 3m.

14.45-15.15     
Working at height and fall protection

Association and industry experts will be on hand to advise visitors on advancing safety, best practice and competency when working at height, irrespective of equipment type or safety solution. Panelists include members of the Access Industry Forum (AIF) which worked with the HSE during the development of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

15.30-16.00     
Training & competence

When is training regulated? An expert panel from IOSH, NEBOSH and 3M will be available to advise on the importance of standards and auditing.

Weds 11th Oct

10.30-11.00     
RPE     

11.30-12.00     
Hearing

13.15-13.45     
Working at height and fall protection     

15.00-15.30     
Training & competence

Breakfast Briefings

Before the exhibitions opens, join industry experts for breakfast and coffee at Health & Safety North's Breakfast Briefings. Starting at 9.00am, the sessions are an ideal opportunity to meet your peers and network, before listening to a guest speaker discussing key health & safety issues. Please note you must pre-register as spaces are limited, so make sure you arrive early.

Tues 10th Oct
08:00-09:00     
Crystalline silica work in the construction industry

The largest number of individuals who are potentially exposed to high levels of crystalline silica work in the construction industry.

Silica is found in materials such as sand, concrete, stone and mortar and is created when cutting, grinding, sanding and drilling of any of these substances occurs.

Respirable silica dust is considered a carcinogen and should be treated as a hazard in an airborne state. For this reason, it is important to continuously monitor and control levels of respirable crystalline silica in any environment where these materials are being used and these tasks undertaken.

TSI and Shawcity will demonstrate how real-time monitoring enables rapid response to high silica exposure environments, faster validation of corrective actions and provides comprehensive data insights into silica exposure within an operation.

Weds 11th Oct

08:00-09:00     
Half life of improvements & the Sentencing Guidelines - what you need to know

Ex-local enforcement officer, turned Health and Safety Consultancy Director, John Southall gives an insight into the importance of accident investigation outcomes, including how businesses can protect themselves from large fines through data monitoring. Coming from a background in enforcement, John understands how inspectors operate and what they look for when investigating major incidents, including the compliance issues that result in the biggest penalties for businesses, allowing for a unique perspective on the process.

With penalty costs now reaching new heights, and the number of company director prosecutions having trebled since the introduction of the new sentencing guidelines, it has never been more crucial to have a strong handle on health and safety risks and manage culpability through the careful consideration of accident outcomes and the half life of improvements.

BSIF: A step by step guide to complying with PPE Regulation (EU)2016/425

The BSIF and HSM will be hosting an important seminar supporting BSIF members through the final months leading up to the PPE Regulation (EU)2016/425 becoming “Applicable” on 21st of April 2018.

BSIF CEO, Alan Murray, will take the audience through the significant stages required to ensure their Personal Protective Equipment complies. The approach will be step by step through the different product and risk categories. The seminar is open to employees of BSIF members and prior registration is required You can register at https://registration.n200.com/survey/0dqsgl8w29b1y

The seminar will be interactive and inclusive and BSIF will be taking questions and providing answers to ensure its membership is fully prepared.

Following the seminar participants are invited to join the BSIF on the HSM stand for refreshments and to continue the discussion.

NEBOSH to attend Health & Safety North

Examination board, NEBOSH, will be exhibiting at this year’s Health and Safety North in October. At the two-day event, NEBOSH will showcase its newly launched NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Process Safety Management. This qualification has been designed for high hazard industries where process safety management is critically important. It applies principles and best practice to manage process risks, helping to protect people and valuable assets.

NEBOSH’s Qualification Development Manager Matthew Powell Howard, said: “Collaborating with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) allowed us to combine our ability to deliver strong, credible vocational occupational safety and health qualifications with HSE’s industry-leading knowledge and expertise.”

NEBOSH invites employers, potential students, alumni and training providers attending to visit its team on Stand N28 in the Education Pavilion. Delegates can find out more about the new Certificate in Process Safety Management as well as its range of other globally recognised qualifications.

Matthew will also be participating in daily panel debates on Training & Competence in the Safety Dialogue Theatre.

Show highlight: Three ways to address workplace stress

We’ve all experienced workplace stress at some point, from the urgent to-do list to the highly-pressured presentation. The problem is that, left unchecked, stress can seriously harm your health, and when your health is compromised, you can hardly perform at your best.

According to the Health & Safety Executive’s most recent Labour Force Survey, 11.9 million working days were lost last year in the UK as a result of work-related stress, anxiety or depression.

The worst cases can be fatal. Around 4500 people of working age commit suicide each year and there are millions more who are hanging on by their fingertips. Compare that with the 135 who died at work through accidents and you begin to see a big problem. While the protection of physical safety is largely upheld by established practices, wellbeing lacks such a framework, and addressing this imbalance is essential not only to our collective health but also our national productivity.

That’s the message to employers from Tim Marsh, culture change guru, author and founder of leading consultancy Ryder-Marsh Safety. He will be talking about his Toolkit for Wellbeing in the main Conference Theatre on Wednesday 11th October at 9.15am.

Here he shares three ways that employers can better manage the wellbeing of their workforce:

1. The Graft Principle
The graft principle can be seen as a northern translation the triangle principle.  Put simply, to change the headline outcomes at the peak of the triangle, we must establish solid foundational practices at the base of the triangle. Individually, it’s about looking after ourselves mentally and physically. At an organisational level, it’s about facilitating that. In the construction sector, the Mates In Mind scheme, which is also the subject of a conference session at Health & Safety North, has seen cheap porridge made available to workers every morning, and dedicated skype rooms to give homesick workers regular contact with their families. In some offices, we’ve seen the introduction of  mental health first aiders, who are trained up to encourage conversations and develop a culture where it’s safe to talk.

2. Let’s not get too technical
In the UK we’re world leaders when it comes to safety but pretty terrible at training frontline management in non-technical skills such as assertion, coaching, active listening and provision of effective feedback. Without non-technical skills, sometimes known as ‘soft skills’, we aren’t going to get the best from those around us.

3. Understanding the mysteries of human behaviour There has been some excellent research into high reliability organisations (HROs) and the influence of the ‘human factor’. Because people are flawed and do all sorts of peculiar and apparently self-defeating things, we can often exclaim ‘people!’ and blame them for their failings. What we know from safety excellence is that these ‘self-defeating nonsensical’ behaviours are often actually quite easy to predict. As a result, seeking to proactively predict these behaviours and make ‘nudge’ influenced adjustments to the environment is often effective. The real experts when it comes to predicting the 101 ‘unintended consequences’ of short-term thinking are not necessarily psychologists but those on the frontline. When managers can engage in two-way dialogue with employees, there will be change for the better.

Fire Safety North

Running alongside Health & Safety North is the first ever Fire Safety North, an independent event complete with free-to-attend CPD accredited content and major brand representation that will fire and safety professionals achieve and maintain the very highest standards of fire safety management.

The latest fire safety products and services will be on display with a range of exhibitors and educational content will be presented across two lecture theatres, with seminars being delivered from leading industry experts, government officials, lawyers and manufacturers.

Fire Safety Keynote Theatre, sponsored by Advanced

10:00-10:30
Prosecutions under the RRO Fire Safety Order: Warren Spencer

Warren Spencer is managing director of Blackhurst Budd Solicitor and has prosecuted more than one hundred cases under the Fire Safety Order. In this session Warren will share key findings from some of his most high profile cases and highlight common fire safety failings that land people in court.

12:30-13:30     
Fire safety mock trial: Blackhurst Budd

This is the first mock trial to ever be held at a large scale fire safety event in the UK. Warren Spencer will lead the prosecution over a breach of the fire safety order. The defendant will be defended by a leading barrister, with the audience taking the role of judge and jury.

14:00-15:00     
Live chemical explosion demonstration: Roy Smith

Respected fire safety trainer Roy Smith will explain why it's essential that chemicals are stored safely. He will reinforce this message by conducting live chemical explosions, which will show just how quickly chemicals can explode during a fire and how devastating the impacts can be.

15:00-16:00

Association of Insurance Surveyors Networking event: Meeting your legal requirements for detection systems: Paul Pope, Apollo Fire Detectors

Weds 11th Oct
10:00-10:30     
Eliminating false alarms: Neil Parkin, Advanced

For anyone who doubts the extent of the problem of false fire alarms, Neil Parkin has a sobering statistic: in England in 2014/15, there were 40% more false alarms than actual fires. Neil will demonstrate common causes of false alarms and steps you can take to eliminate the problem.

11:30 - 12:00
Fires in tall buildings: Neil Gibbins, Institution of Fire Engineers; Andrew Thompson, Gerda; Mark Sennett (Chair), Fire & Security Matters

As buildings become larger, taller and more complex, fire protection must be improved to mitigate the devastating impact of fire on life safety and business resilience. Russ Timpson will examine the causes of major fires in skyscrapers across the world and what can be done to mitigate the risk of fires in these buildings.

13:00-13:30     
Welsh government address on sprinklers laws: Ann Jones AM, Welsh Assembly

Last year the Welsh Government passed new legislation that mandates the installation of sprinklers in all new buildings including new build homes. Ann Jones was the driving force behind the legislation being passed and she will share her views on why it's essential that sprinklers are installed in all new buildings across the UK and explain why the path to success in Wales was a hard fight.

14:30 - 15:00    

Role of the responsible person: Dr Bob Docherty, Institute of Fire Safety Managers

Dr Bob Docherty will outline the role of the responsible person and stress the need for risk assessments to be carried out competently. He will address the key things you need to get right when carrying out a risk assessment, which if ignored could lead to prosecution.

Fire and Evacuation Theatre

Educational seminars containing case studies on evacuation, risk assessment, competency and property protection.

Tues 10th Oct

08:00-08:45     
Breakfast briefing on Passive Fire Protection: Dr Carl Hunter, Coltraco; TBC, Kingspan; Mark Sennett (Chair), Fire & Security Matters

Delegates will enjoy networking over a bacon roll and refreshments before listening to a 45 minute panel debate session, which will focus on understanding passive fire protection. The seminar will explain the importance of selecting the correct passive fire protection to suit the premises, look at cladding and insulated panels and also discuss the likely impacts of Brexit on the sector.

09:15-09:45
Fire risk management in Sheltered Housing: Paul Lane, Turner & Townsend

This session will explore considerations relating to fire risk management in sheltered and extra-care accommodation, and outline some of the solutions. Chief among the reasons why fire can have such a catastrophic effect in such facilities is the vulnerability of the residents.

11:30-12:00     
Visual Alarm Devices - Complying to the law: Brian Foster, C-Tec

More than 10% of the UK's population is deaf or hard of hearing and they are at particular risk during a fire. This session looks at what your legal responsibility is to ensure they are aware when a fire alarm is activated. Brian Foster will explain why visual alarm devices are a key means of keeping vulnerable people safe when a building needs to be evacuated.

13:00-15:30     
Institute of Fire Safety Managers AGM

More than 80 members of the IFSM will attend this session but all Fire Safety North delegates are welcome to sit in on the educational seminars, which will look at the role of the competent person, risk assessment and how to ensure your risk assessor is up to the job. This will be followed by the IFSM's AGM, which only members will be able to vote in.

Weds 11th Oct
08:00-08:45     
Breakfast briefing on Tall Buildings: Stewart Kidd, BAFSA; Sean Quinn, FireVu; Speaker TBC, Safety Technology International; Mark Sennett (Chair), Fire & Security Matters

Breakfast briefings are always a huge hit at the Fire Safety Events as delegates get to come in for breakfast before the exhibition opens and network with like-minded peers. A lively panel session will provide essential advice on all aspects of how to protect tall buildings from fire and how to ensure they are evacuated safely.

09:15-09:45     
Combining fire & security systems: Nick Whiting, BT Redcare

Fire and intruder alarm systems have come a long way in the last three decades, and the challenges to both are changing all the time. Nick Whiting will explain how monitored alarm signalling is essential to ensuring quick response from the police or firefighters in the event of a fire or a break in.

12:15-12:45     
Protecting hospitals from fires: Tony Hanley, FirePro

Tony Hanley will share a case study on how an NHS trust suffered multiple serious fires from the same piece of faulty kit. The cost of replacing these machines was very expensive and the installation of a suppression system has now stopped the fires before they cause major damage.

13:45 - 14:15     
Emergency lighting gets interesting: Robin Kemp, Advanced

Emergency lighting is a key aid for assisting with evacuations and has a direct impact on life safety. Robin Kemp will explain how you can ensure your emergency lighting is reliable at the critical moment.

Free registration is now open. To register and view the full Health & Safety North educational programme online, visit: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk