Arbeitsschutz Aktuell- 25– 28 AUGUST 2014 IN FRANKFURT

Jun 20, 2014

Arbeitsschutz Aktuell and XXth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2014: Global Forum for Prevention transform top exhibition hub into an international meeting place for occupational safety and health protection

Arbeitsschutz Aktuell – a conference and trade fair dedicated to occupational health and safety – is to be held from 25 to 28 August, 2014 on almost 40,000 square meters of exhibition space in one of Europe’s most beautiful and state-of-the-art trade fair halls. Since 1972, Arbeitsschutz Aktuell has served as an important source of information for specialist institutions and the business and science communities on all matters relating to health and safety at the workplace.

International meeting place for occupational health and safety

In fact, 2014 is a very special year for Arbeitsschutz Aktuell, because it will enjoy close links – in terms of content and location – with the XXth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work: Global Forum for Prevention. The World Congress is the biggest global event for the international occupational health and safety community. It takes place every three years. More than 4,000 visitors from over 100 countries around the world are expected to attend the World Congress itself, including important decision-makers from politics, business and associations. Germany last hosted the event in 1990. The mix of international World Congress, trade fair and national conference is quite unique. The three events will also be closely interlinked in terms of their content.

Prof. Rainer von Kiparski, President of the German Joint Association of Safety Engineers and Safety Inspectors (FASI) and Chairman of the Association of German Safety Engineers (VDSI): “As a top exhibition and conference location, Frankfurt will be transformed into an international centre of competence for cutting-edge occupational safety and health protection and the industry’s leading event worldwide – the ideal place for health and safety experts to network globally and find out about the latest products.”

Olaf Freier, Managing Director of the organizer HINTE Messe- und Ausstellungs-GmbH, believes that the close links between the two events will generate real added value for exhibitors, too: “Companies can use this opportunity in Frankfurt to present their products and services to an even wider and more diverse international audience – at substantially lower cost and with considerably less outlay.”

The trade fair has become a driver for innovation. It presents the current trends, the latest products, offerings and solutions relating to health and safety in the workplace.

Particularly given the increasing shortage of specialist professionals, occupational safety and health protection is becoming an ever bigger challenge worldwide, and companies today are naturally interested in having healthy and motivated employees. Consequently, a separate forum is to be held for the first time on the topic of corporate health that focuses exclusively on corporate health management solutions.

Despite the positive developments in recent years, the statistics still underline the relevance and need for effective occupational protection and the best possible safety at the workplace. Figures published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveal that over 2 million people die each year as the result of an occupational illness or accident at work. An increasing number of people at more and more workplaces are being exposed to what in some cases are very high levels of risk.

“Once again in 2014, Vision Zero will be one of the key issues of the prevention forum,” says Prof. von Kiparski. Originating from Sweden and initially geared to road safety, “Vision Zero” aims to completely eliminate fatalities and serious injuries.

An international study published by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and the German institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention for the energy, textile and electrical sectors (BG ETEM) shows how pursuing occupational safety and health protection can pay dividends1. It concludes that, on average, every euro a company invests in corporate prevention pays off to the tune of €2.2 in potential economic success.

“Arbeitsschutz Aktuell – das Präventionsforum” takes place every two years at different trade fair venues, with far in excess of 1,000 conference participants and around 10,000 trade fair visitors over the long-term average. Partners from institutions and businesses in the relevant regions are actively involved in determining the topics covered. The German Joint Association of Safety Engineers and Safety Inspectors (FASI) sponsors the three-day trade fair and the conference, which in 2014 is being held under the slogan “Transforming the world of work – making it safe and healthy”. The FASI comprises three member organisations – the VDSI (Association of German Safety Engineers), the VDRI (German Association of Inspection Engineering) and the VDGAB (Association of German Factory Inspectors). The trade fair is organised by HINTE GmbH and the German Joint Association of Safety Engineers and Safety Inspectors (FASI).

For more information, please visit the trade event website: http://www.arbeitsschutz-aktuell.de/