European Commissioner Lásló Andor to Address IOSH Conference 2013

04 February 2013

The man responsible for European Union policies on health and safety at work will address occupational safety and health practitioners at a major conference

European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Lásló Andor, will present the international keynote speech at IOSH 2013, announced event organisers.

Mr Andor, who joined the European Commission in February 2010, will provide an EU-wide perspective of the industry and outline his strategic priorities on health and safety issues across the union.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the chartered body for health and safety practitioners, and UBM Live have organised IOSH 2013, which will take place from February 26-27 at London’s ExCel.

The event’s key focus will be around how health and safety professionals can strike the right balance between promoting wellbeing in the workplace and safe work practices. The event promises to provide professionals with the right tools and knowledge to be truly ‘fit for the future’.

Lásló Andor will be joined by more than 60 expert speakers including the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Shadow Minister for Employment; Lawrence Waterman OBE, Head of Health and Safety for the Olympic Delivery Authority; David Ashton, Director of Field Operations at HSE; Dr Richard J L Heron, Vice-President Health and Chief Medical Officer at BP; and Dr Todd Wright, Managing Director of Sellafield.

IOSH President Gerard Hand said: “We are delighted to confirm Lásló Andor as our international keynote speaker. Having consulted extensively with the industry on our conference programme, many told us they would like more sessions with an international focus.

“The increasingly globalised view of many businesses means it is more important than ever for all health and safety professionals to be fully briefed on regulation and best practice on an international level.”

This year, several sessions at IOSH 2013 will have an international focus. Along with the keynote speech from Lásló Andor on the first day, there will be a panel session with representatives from international health and safety institutions. Richard Pollock, President of the ASSE, Andrew Cooper, President for CSSE and Sue Pilkington, Chair of Safety Institute Australia will explore the changing face of the health and safety workplace and how this varies in each individual country.

Additionally, the International Question Time panel discussion will explore how health and safety professionals can tackle global issues and learn from best practice. The panel session will feature Danny Martland, Director for Safety, Health & Environment for BAE Systems, with Andrew Page, Director of Health and Safety for Tata Steel, and Craig Notman, of the Mines Rescue Guardsman, who recently featured on the award-winning BBC Two Series Toughest Place to Be… A Miner.

The IOSH exhibition runs alongside the conference and offers visitors the chance to meet with leading companies showcasing their latest innovations, as well as advice and guidance on best practice and compliance. The exhibition is packed with a variety of free seminars led by keynote speakers, designed to provide topical content that will keep visitors updated on the latest developments within the industry.

For more information on IOSH 2013 conference and exhibition visit the website at www.ioshconference.co.uk and follow the event on Twitter at #ioshconf13.