Seminars on the biggest changes to safety laws in decades, practical safety workshops and all the products and services needed to keep workplaces safe and compliant will make The Safety Show a vital source of information this October.
Visitors to The Safety Show Sydney and Sydney Materials Handling, which will run from October 27 to 29 at the Sydney Showground, will hear how safety in New South Wales will change when the state's occupational health and safety law follows a new national Model Act.
The proposed new laws will affect union powers, the personal liability of company officers and even the onus of proof when safety breaches are judged in court.
Safe Work Australia, the umbrella body responsible for developing the national model OHS legislation, will present a seminar on October 28 at The Safety Show outlining the impact of the changes.
A feature of national Safe Work Week, The Safety Show and Sydney Materials Handling show together are NSW's largest workplace safety event and will host more than 300 exhibitors this year. Products and services on offer extend from first aid supplies and training through to machine guarding and risk management.
Among the high profile exhibitors are WorkCover NSW, Blackwoods, Elliott Australia, Ingal EPS, Ingal Civil Products, NTP Forklifts, Spill Station Australia and Webforge.
Organiser Marie Kinsella of Australian Exhibitions & Conferences Pty Ltd, anticipates many of the 10,000 who visited last year's shows will be back again in October.
"Last year, 34 per cent of visitors had been the year before as well – because we always have lots of new exhibitors to see and, anyway, there's a strong legal mandate to stay very current with safety," she said. "It will be even more important this year with the new laws on their way."
The Safety Show's principal sponsor, WorkCover NSW, will keep visitors abreast of three key areas with free daily seminars: Workers Compensation - What you need to know, Manual Handling and Smart Move Tool Kit, and Preventing and Dealing with Workplace Bullying.
Simplifying the complex field of safe work at heights will be the focus of a free workshop held by Workplace Access & Safety. The one-hour session explains how to make work sites safe and compliant with fall prevention regulations. Workplace Access & Safety will also offer door prizes with open entry for all show visitors valued at $5000.
For intensive professional development, visitors can also book to attend The Safety Conference, which will be held concurrently with the trade shows. The Safety Show Sydney and Sydney Materials Handling will run during Safe Work Australia Week from October 27 to 29 at the Sydney Showground. It is organised by Australian Exhibitions & Conferences .