The Safety Show Sydney and Sydney Materials Handling drew 10,276 visits over their three days in October — more than a 10 per cent increase on 2006 attendances.
This year’s event featured the inaugural Sydney Materials Handling, a show dedicated to load, move and shift solutions co-located with The Safety Show Sydney. Sprawling over more than three and a half acres at the Sydney Showground, the two shows offered visitors a one-stop overview of the latest workplace health and safety solutions.
Growth areas, said organiser, Marie Kinsella of Australian Exhibitions & Conferences Pty Ltd, were materials handling and workplace wellness.
“Industry is obviously keenly aware of the need to address materials handling issues, which WorkCover NSW says is New South Wales’ number one cause of workplace injury,” she said.
“Principal Sponsor of The Safety Show and Sydney Materials Handling, WorkCover NSW, gave away thousands of its Smart Move show bags to visitors keen to learn more about the correct manual and materials handling techniques.
“While materials handling is one of industry’s oldest and most difficult to solve occupational health and safety challenges, the show’s increasing contingent of workplace wellness exhibitors proved that industry is looking forward too. There were more psychologists, fitness experts and ergonomists than we’ve ever seen before. And they were kept busy.”
The Safety Conference featured speakers such as former Beaconsfield mine manager, Matthew Gill with psychologist, Dr Robert Long; OHS law specialist Professor Ron McCallum; and Julia Gillard, who launched Labor’s OHS policy.
The event will return next year, from October 28 to 30. Other safety shows around the country include Safety In Action in Melbourne, 29 April – 1 May 2008, and the inaugural WA Safety Show, August 12 to 14 at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre.