A melting-pot of safety

With its collective force of health and safety expertise, the NOSHEBO stand attracted a lot of attention at OSH Expo Africa 2012

The National Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Board (NOSHEBO) stand brought four professional associations together for the expo held in Midrand on June 19 and 20 – the Safety First Association (SFA), the Institute of Safety Management (IoSM), the Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association (SAPEMA) and the South African Institute for Occupational
Hygiene (SAIOH).

The stand was busy throughout the event, with many visitors stopping by to look at the eye-catching display of informative literature published by the SFA. The perennially popular and moderately-priced posters the association has been publishing for years were a big draw card, while the greater substance offered in its newly-launched Safety Handbook appealed to those wanting more. And more is what readers of this handbook certainly get: 400 information-packed pages vital for anyone wanting to know anything about safety. The handbook is written and illustrated in such a way that it will benefit anyone responsible for or interested in safety.

NOSHEBO held its annual conference, dinner and award ceremony concurrently with the OSH Expo, with numerous awards presented during the evening.

Industry stalwarts honoured
The Safety First Association presented its annual award posthumously to Louis Taljaard, founder of Health And Safety Legal Audit Consultants (HASLAC), for the considerable service he gave to the safety industry in his lifetime. Taljaard passed away at the end of 2010, so the award was handed with thanks to his wife Petro.

SAPEMA presented three awards, including a posthumous lifetime achievement award to Rob Ellis for his dedication and all the time he devoted to this association. Rob passed away earlier this year, and his wife Eileen was present to accept his award. Mike Freemantle was given an award for the technical contributions he has made, while Mark Hoadley was awarded for his efforts with the Gauteng branch of SAPEMA.

SAIOH named several award winners:
• The Article of the Year Award for 2011 went to Dr Andrew Swanepoel for his article “Respirable Dust and Quartz Exposure from Three South African Farms with Sandy, Sandy Loam, and Clay Soils”;
• The Student of the Year Award went to Janetta Reynecke;
• Andre Muller was named Top Achiever:

Occupational Hygiene Assistant;
• Martin Schoonhoven was named Top Achiever: Occupational Hygiene Technologist;
• Corli Venter was named Top Achiever: Occupational Hygienist;
• The Personality of the Year Award for 2011 went to Dr Cas Badenhorst; and
• The Occupational Hygienist of the Year Award for 2011 was won by Melinda Venter.

The IOSM award for the most improved branch went to its Limpopo branch.