OS+H ASIA 2012OS+H Asia 2012, 8th Occupational Safety & Health Exhibition for Asia, (September 12 - 14, 2012 at Suntec Singapore) will feature a significant number of international exhibitors focusing on height safety equipment. According to Singapore’s Workplace Safety & Health Council, falls from heights remain the single largest cause of workplace fatalities and one of the main causes of injuries at work. In 2011, falls from heights attributed to 43% of the total workplace fatalities nationwide, an increase of almost 20% compared to the previous year.

According to Tim Whiteman, CEO of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), a trade fair like OS+H Asia highlights occupational safety and health issues across all industries: “It is especially relevant for the traditional “high-risk” industries such as building and construction but also for other industries like facilities management, retail, industrial cleaning, and tree and parks maintenance. Exhibitions are about reaching out to visitors and interested parties in a visible way, engaging them and getting the message across. IPAF is pleased to be part of the OS+H Asia exhibition and to help shaping the Singapore health and safety landscape by promoting the effective use of powered access equipment at work.”

Since its beginnings in 1983, IPAF has been working to promote and raise the standards of the powered access industry and to further bolster the image of the sector through training programs and technical advice, among other initiatives.

Parallel with OS+H Asia 2012, the federation will hold its inaugural IPAF Asia Conference 2012 (September 14) with the theme “Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) – Raising the Standard”. Tim Whiteman expects around 200 delegates from access rental companies and manufacturers as well as government representatives and users to participate.

In addition, visitors can look forward to a wide array of products for safer and healthier workplaces presented by some 150 exhibiting companies, many of which will focus on height safety:

A member of IPAF, Galmon (S) Pte Ltd is the leading MEWP specialist in the Asia-Pacific region providing boom lifts, scissor lifts, personnel lifts, truck-mounted lifts, custom-built lifts and aluminum scaffolding. As a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Accredited Training Provider (ATP) for MEWPs, Galmon provides first-rate training in a safe environment. Booth: E36

Presenting the brands DBI-SALA®, UNILINE® and PROTECTA®, Capital Safety Group Asia Pte Ltd is the world leader in fall protection products and industrial rescue systems. Visitors from the oil and gas, construction, telecommunication, power and utilities, transportation, wind energy, aircraft as well as fire and rescue operations sectors can source Capital Safety’s wide range of fall protection products, which will include full body harnesses, shock-absorbing lanyards, self-retracting lifelines, permanent and temporary horizontal and vertical lifelines. Booth: D13

Height Protection Solutions Pte Ltd will offer a complete range of safety equipment such as safety harnesses and lanyards, beam anchor slings, concrete anchor points, ladder extension, ladder assist, self-retractable lifelines, rope assemblies, tripods, rope HLL systems as well as a wide range of carabiners, snap hooks, winches and rope grabs. Booth: F33

Strongly involved in Singapore’s landmark projects (World Sentosa, Fusionopolis and Marina Bay Sands Resorts) is Akrobat Pte Ltd, a leading specialist in fall protection and abseiling systems. With their own range of innovative safety products such as waterproofed roof anchorages, custom-made roof clamps, non-deformable overhang lifelines, monorails for abseiling with fixing on roofs, harnesses and more, Akrobat contributes to safer working environments in various projects, such as the construction of subway stations, factories and airports. Booth: C34

Campers’ Corner Outdoor Outfitters Pte Ltd. will showcase equipment for working at heights, fall protection and height rescue. They also work closely with training centers to ensure customers obtain the best knowledge of the equipment. Booth: F25

Alongside products and equipment for work safety at height, OS+H Asia 2012 recognizes the importance of proper training for workers, supervisors and managers. Active in the field of WSH training is TrainNOW Asia Pte Ltd, the representative for Vocam in Asia providing OHS and HR video and e-learning solutions. Safety-TV™ for example is a cloud based fully customizable e-learning solution on OH+S and HR training, offering subscribers the ability to create their own training courses. The platform is designed for global delivery anytime anywhere with full access to 400+ titles in multiple languages (Cantonese, English, Malay and Mandarin). Booth: D35

Supervisors looking for Work at Height Training accredited by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower will find information at the booth of QMT Industrial & Safety Pte Ltd. A key milestone for QMT was the accreditation by Spanset (UK) Limited as their approved external training provider for their Modular Height safety programs in Singapore. In 2002, Spanset established the Modular Height Safety Training courses, providing the necessary knowledge of equipment and techniques to allow managers or users to operate safety systems effectively in designated environments. Booth: F14

Focusing on commercial safety training for the onshore and offshore industries is KBA Training Centre Pte Ltd (KBAT). Their health, safety and environmental training programs are approved by international accredited organizations such as the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) and the North Sea Lifting (NSL). Besides Work at Height, KBAT will offer CIEH Training (Environment, Fire, Food, Health & Safety, Training The Trainer), IMCA Diving and related commercial diving training, NSL Rigging and Lifting Training  and IRATA Rope Access Training. Booth: E26

For the complete interview with Tim Whiteman (IPAF), visit www.osha-singapore.com/press-releases.html; more product highlights are available at www.osha-singapore.com/product-highlights.html

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at OS+H Asia 2012, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit our web site http://www.mdna.com; Subscribe to our blog at http://blog.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago.

Concurrent Events:

The second Singapore WSH Conference 2012, organized by the WSH Council, Ministry of Manpower and WSH Institute, will be held on September 12 and 13. The Conference, with the theme “Changing Landscapes, Shaping a Progressive WSH Culture”, will bring together CEOs, senior government officials and WSH professionals to discuss topics such as “WSH: Important for business sustainability?”, “WSH Professionals: operational or strategic?” and “How to leverage on partnership for WSH?”

(More information at www.singaporewshconference.sg)

On September 14, the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) and Messe Düsseldorf Asia will again organize the Forum on Safety & Health. The theme this year will be “Embracing Challenges | Enhancing Professionalism”. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for workplace safety & health (WSH) experts, professionals and specialist service providers and manufacturers to share and showcase the latest insights and technological advancement in key safety and health issues such as work at height, crane safety and innovative WSH solutions.

(More information at www.osha-singapore.com)

The first IPAF Asia Conference 2012, to be held on September 14, will bring bring industry stakeholders for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) together to understand and create awareness on the latest issues, standard and legislation for the Mobile Elevated Work Platforms industry in Singapore.

(More information at www.ipaf.org)