The Safety In Action and Melbourne Materials Handling trade shows are expected to continue to draw 10,000 or more visitors when they return to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from March 31 to April 2.
The two trade shows will present hundreds of suppliers of occupational health and safety (OHS) and materials handling products and services — as diverse as asbestos removal and corporate wellness programs — spanning three acres.
Safety In Action and Melbourne Materials Handling are expected to remain buoyant after their northern counterpart, The Safety Show Sydney, drew 10,276 visitors over three days in October as the credit crisis unfolded.
Organiser of Safety In Action, Australian Exhibitions & Conferences' Marie Kinsella says the strong attendance figures prove business owners will continue to prioritise the safety of their people.
"Aside from meeting your obligations, workplace safety and materials handling allows people to be more productive," Kinsella says.
"Maintaining morale and increasing efficiency is even more critical in tough conditions and Australian businesses are not throwing out the baby with the bathwater."
Andrew Meerman, Managing Director of OHS consulting giant, Noel Arnold & Associates, says many companies are increasing their investment in safety.
“Safety is a proven way to improve business performance,” he says, “and several of our clients who are under considerable commercial pressure have not only maintained but lifted their prevention efforts.”
“A number of Noel Arnold clients have achieved dramatic falls in injuries in the order of 20, 30 and 40 per cent and workers compensation costs are very sensitive to claims performance.
"The rule of thumb is that every dollar spent on a claim brings another three dollars of workers compensation premium costs that carry on for three years, so it makes very good sense from a purely financial standpoint.”
“Clever employers are also using prevention programs to better engage with their workforce. It’s an excellent basis for managers and leaders to drive positive culture in tough times.”
Pointing to the continuing physical needs of workers, exhibitor and defibrillator supplier Stacey Williams of ZOLL Medical, says workplace safety remained a priority despite economic uncertainty.
"The need for safety doesn't change because there's a downturn and there isn’t going to be any fewer sudden cardiac arrests this year — if anything, SCA cases are on the rise in Australia — so, yes, it's just as important as ever to make your workplace safe," Williams says.
"Cardiac arrests kill more people every year than lung cancer and breast cancers combined, so we'll be at Safety In Action to raise awareness of defibrillation and effective CPR."
Aside from raising awareness, exhibitor Russell Lee of Elliott Australia, says his company's participation in the Safety In Action trade show reflected its commitment to the ongoing development of the Australian safety industry.
"Protecting people from harm does not stop just because the economy tightens a little,” Lee says.
“While other companies may see the current economic conditions as a time to shrink back and restrict their promotional activities, Elliott Australia firmly believes the industry is in a very healthy position.
"We will be continuing to move forward in introducing new products and concepts to the Australian safety industry," he says.
"Safety In Action show is a key avenue that the company will continue to use to raise both its product profile and services it offers to the safety professional."
"Customers look to us to be at Safety In Action to show them new ways of protecting their people resources from harm — new products that keep their people safer, happier and at work for longer. You need the right venue for that and enough space to do it effectively."
Elliott Australia plans to launch new eyewear at Safety In Action and show the PureSport rehydration drink that it showed successfully for the first time in October at The Safety Show Sydney.
For other exhibitors, like height safety provider, INGAL EPS, Safety In Action is an unmatched opportunity to meet new clients.
"We're best known as a steel pole manufacturer but we have a range of new height safety products like the High Mast, so being part of the Safety In Action trade show is no doubt the best way to meet potential customers," says Louise Gillis, Marketing Assistant at INGAL EPS.
Also introducing themselves to Safety In Action visitors will be members of the fire and security industry. A new area will feature suppliers of fire preparedness training, investigation training, fire monitoring systems, closed circuit television (CCTV), intercoms, access control and security systems.
In another first, the concurrently held Melbourne Materials Handling will host the National Forklift Championships, which are organised by Melbourne Materials Handling sponsor, the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA).
Championship Coordinator, Bill Henman, says the trade show's focus on both the materials handling and safety sectors make it a good fit.
“People who operate forklifts, perform forklift operations, use racking systems, etc will be visiting the trade show, so it gives them the opportunity to see people from around Australia competing at a national level in the Championships at the same time,” he says.
Spectators of the event will see operators drive through a negotiated course to test their hand-eye coordination and skills which are aligned to the national load shifting standards for high risk plant.
The Safety In Action and Melbourne Materials Handling trade shows run from March 31 to April 2 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Free Online registration.
The Safety Institute of Australia will present the concurrent Safety In Action Conference sponsored by WorkSafe Victoria and Downer EDI.
The conference will feature local and international speakers including business leader Janet Holmes à Court, Beaconsfield investigator Professor Michael Quinlan,
OHS harmonisation panellist Barry Sherriff, and WorkSafe executive director John Merritt.
For more information or safetyvisitor@ace.net.au, or phone Australian Exhibitions & Conferences on 03 9654 7773.
Add a comment