What's on show?
August 1st 2008

As well as the inclusive range of educational and practical seminars available at Health and Safety 08, there is a comprehensive exhibition with companies showing their products and services across all core areas of health and safety With 50% more companies exhibiting than in 2007 the Health and Safety 08 - North exhibition has been expanded to cover two floors. The list of companies exhibiting includes a host of well-known PPE providers, fall arrest specialists, respiratory protection providers, materials handling equipment suppliers and health and safety consultancies. For a full list of exhibitors visit: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk

In addition to the wide range of products and services on show, 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 (HSE), the Asbestos Control and Abatement Division (ACAD) and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), all of who are exhibiting.

Vast range of PPE on show Product wise, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is an area which is extremely well represented with the show's official sponsor being DuPont and Ansell Healthcare Europe and Aearo Technologies as event partners. Other PPE suppliers such as BM Polyco, Marigold Industrial and Praybourne will also have stands at the event which guarantees that a huge range of product solutions will be available, with everything from protective clothing and gloves, to eye wear and ear plugs.

Solutions for breathing safely Respiratory protection in all its different forms is also well represented with exhibitors like MSA (Britain) showing its range of respiratory equipment and gas detection solutions. Gas detection equipment is also offered by such well established companies as BW Technologies by Honeywell and Shawcity while Nederman and Flextraction Ltd have full ranges of dust and fume extraction equipment.

Materials handling under the spotlight Safe handling and storage, particularly of long, awkward and potentially dangerous loads is increasingly under the spotlight and materials handling is another area which is well covered by the event with companies such as Combilift Ltd, Logitrans UK, Palamatic Handling Systems and Tawi UK exhibiting. Combilift in particular will be demonstrating how to streamline and save space when handling long loads by using its system of 4-way forklifts instead of a combination of sideloaders and counterbalance trucks. The experienced staff at the show will be happy to discuss individual visitor applications and help provide the practical assistance which only face-to-face interaction can bring.

Asbestos covered The issues associated with working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials continue to be a cause for concern. According to the HSE, diseases caused by asbestos fibre inhalation are responsible for around 4000 deaths a year, making asbestos the greatest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK. More people die from asbestos-related diseases a year than are killed on the roads and it's not only those working in occupations such as construction and demolition that can be affected.

Anyone who has worked on a building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000, from telecommunication engineers to plasterers to general maintenance staff such as caretakers, should be aware of the potential risks. As a result, the HSE is working with key stakeholders (trades unions, trade associations, suppliers) to raise awareness amongst tradesmen that they are at risk from exposure to asbestos – a campaign that will launch with national media coverage on the 13th October 2008. As well as the seminar from Sarah Brown on day two about the Asbestos Campaign, visitors to Health and Safety 08 – North can speak to experts on the HSE's stand for more information. Practical advice and help is also available from companies such as ACS which offers asbestos consultancy services and is qualified to manage any asbestos procedure safely and efficiently from asbestos surveys right through to removals. The Asbestos Control and Abatement Division (ACAD) will also be exhibiting and will be able to provide information and guidance for employers on the legal requirements in relation to managing asbestos.

Access to advice on burn injury risk With between one and three thousand electrical accidents happening at work every year, burn injury risk is another topic currently being focused on in the health and safety arena.

The risks is not just reserved for utility or civil engineering workers where contact is accidentally made with power cables or overhead lines but also from accidental contact with energised parts within switchgear operations in organisations that generate their own electricity - such as the petrochemical industry, hospitals, paper mills and breweries. The imminent introduction of an IEC standard for garments, along with updated test methods for types of arcs and the introduction of a revised European Standard to protect against heat and flame, could affect any organisation whose employees are at risk of burn injury from electric arc or flash fire.

Visitors to Health and Safety 08 - North will not only be able to take advantage of the advice in a seminar about how to prevent burn injury, but will also benefit from access to consultancies such as TAS Engineering Consultants who will be on hand to advise on compliance to the current Electricity at Work Regulations (1989). TAS will also be able to provide details of its recently launched national electrical arc flash research project to enable the sharing of best practice within the national engineering and safety professional communities.

Training and career development A number of exhibitors offer training on a variety of health and safety topics and with increasing focus on legislation, and regular changes to the responsibilities of employers, it is now more important than ever to ensure staff are fully trained and qualified.

St John Ambulance will be showcasing its locally based health and safety services to visitors at Health and Safety 08 – North. With over 1500 first aid and health and safety related courses scheduled at over 30 training centres throughout the North, St John Ambulance will provide information on its 'one stop shop' service with courses from First Aid in the Workplace, Moving and Handling and Fire Marshal through to the IOSH and NEBOSH qualifications.

For visitors particularly interested in Occupational Health and Safety issues, the University of Bolton is also exhibiting at The Reebok Stadium and has just launched its new Certificate and Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health which visitors to the stand will be able to find out more about. The course takes two years to complete based on attendance of one day a week and has a syllabus which reflects the current approach to health and safety whilst also giving participants practical experience within their own workplace that will also benefit their employers.

Emergency response While much of the equipment and services on show are centred around preventing accidents, it is important to have the right equipment and facilities for when they do happen.

First Aid and emergency response information and products are available from companies such as Evac+Chair International, Cardiac Science Holdings and Martek which will be showing its latest Automatic External Defibrillator designed to be simple to use so that anyone can save a life, including non-medical personnel. Voice prompts guide the rescuer through the steps involved in saving someone's life and with only two buttons to press, help to avoid panic. The unit is also self-contained, with preconnected pads making it portable and easy to store.

Visitors will also be able to find out about developments in spill containment equipment featuring: temporary, hard plastic and adsorbent solutions.

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