Knowledge is power at A-OSH EXPO 2018

Knowledge enables best OHS practices with the latest content from A-OSH EXPO, which will be held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, from 22 to 24 May 2018.

Workplace health and safety is critically important, both for employees’ physical safety and emotional well-being and for the positive impact that healthy, contented staff members can have on a company’s bottom line.

In this regard, it is important to implement occupational health and safety (OHS) programmes in the workplace, and thereafter make sure that key people in the company stay up to date with the latest information affecting their particular sphere, including relevant legislation.

In this regard, the annual A-OSH EXPO, Africa’s leading OHS trade exhibition, is renowned for its excellent content, as offered through such means as the free-to-attend seminar theatre (managed by the Institute of Safety Management, IOSM, and the South African Protective Equipment Marketing Association, SAPEMA), as well as the annual OHS conference of the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh).

The Saiosh annual conference, which is a paid-for event, is running alongside the annual A-OSH EXPO trade show for the eighth year in a row, and presents its own content session for attending members. More details can be found on the website www.saiosh.co.za.

The Saiosh programme includes a keynote address from Tibor Szana, chief inspector for the Department of Labour’s inspection and enforcement services, on the topic of “The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations: the latest developments”; a keynote address on the second day from Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher, IOSH director of professional services, on the topic of “Shaping the future of Safety and Health – Work 2022”; a presentation on Ergonomics in Construction, presented by professor John Smallwood, professor of construction management at Nelson Mandela University; and “Safety Management Pulse Check: Have we lost our WHY?”, presented by Owen McCree, managing director of The Compliance Group.

With regards to the free-to-attend IOSM- and SAPEMA-managed seminar theatres that will be running within A-OSH EXPO, content is always king, as the saying goes. This is according to Sven Smit, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery and event organiser, who says: “As we draw closer to AOSH EXPO, visitors are once again eagerly anticipating the exchange of ideas facilitated by the seminar theatres. In order to be eligible to attend these sessions, people can register on www.a-osh.co.za for free entry to the show.”

This year’s topics include the following:
• New and upcoming OHS legislation and regulations.
• PPE product markings: do you know what you should be looking for?
• Going digital: how will that change the PPE market?
• The impact of the new ergonomics regulations on business.
• What is the PPE directive and the new PPE guidelines and how does this impact on us in South Africa?
• ISO 45001 – the new OHS management system standard is here.
• Occupational Health in the SA workplace.
• Smart PPE: what can we expect in the future?
• Who are the stakeholders impacting on an OHS MS and how are they influencing the effectiveness of your system?
• Needlestick injuries: impact and the latest in protection.
• When are you really a competent occupational health and safety practitioner?
• Baseline risk assessment vs HIRA? Are we doing it right?

The PASMA Working at Heights Theatre is another tried-and-trusted drawcard at A-OSH EXPO. There is always something new to learn in this sphere, which is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

“Properly managed safety programmes in the workplace show commitment to safety by the management, in turn creating a culture of responsibility in which employees want to act in safe ways during their working hours. Absenteeism drops when effective safety programmes are introduced and work premises are kept to higher standards of safety, cleanliness and housekeeping. With business costs and work disruptions kept to a minimum, the value of engaging in the latest information around workplace OHS trends and issues simply cannot be overestimated,” concludes Smit.