Cleaning Show 2017 - Health and safety high on the agenda

With 27.3 million days lost due to work-related ill health or injury in the UK last year, health and safety will be top of the agenda at the Cleaning Show - 14-16 March 2017 at London’s ExCel Exhibition Centre.

The Health and Safety Executive will be running a session of free workshops at the Cleaning Show this year to help employers protect their workforce and reduce costs attributed to managing staff absence. Over 550,000 musculoskeletal disorders were caused or made worse at work in 2016 according to the HSE with lifting and moving people or equipment, chemical and biological substance use, repetitive movement, and slips, trips and falls the main physical strains facing workers.

A keynote presentation by Tracy Hamilton, operational policy advisor, entertainments, leisure, commercial and consumer services sector, HSE, will look at working together to deliver the objectives of the new ‘Helping Great Britain Work Well’ strategy.

Tracy Hamilton’s presentation will touch on some of the main health priorities for HSE over the next couple of years, many of which are known issues for the cleaning industry. Also covered will be details of the HSE’s continued engagement with representatives from the cleaning industry as well as useful sources of information for anyone employed in this industry sector.

Other presentations by HSE include:

• No higher than the hierarchy - working at height in the cleaning industry by Colin Chatten, policy adviser currently working in HSE’s operational strategy team on work at height and product safety.
• Preventing slips and trips - the importance of good cleaning by Rob Shaw, technical team lead, falls prevention, HSL.
• Improving health and safety for new and expectant mothers by Rosie Wallbank, Equality and Human Rights Commission, and Rachel Grant, head of vulnerable workers team, agriculture, waste and recycling unit, HSE.
• Occupational respiratory health in cleaning by Dr Amy Gyte, senior health exposures scientist, Health and Safety Executive.
• Musculoskeletal risk assessment and debate by Christopher Quarrie, BSc CIEHF, specialist inspector in human factors and ergonomics at the Health and Safety Executive.

Thousands have already registered for their passes to attend the UK’s largest cleaning and hygiene event including contract cleaners, facility managers and others with cleaning and hygiene responsibility from care homes, hospitals, restaurants, leisure facilities, academic institutions, transport, and major retailers. Attendees will also be able to try out a wide range of new products, attend a wide range of other seminars including the Future of FM, and obtain free business development advice.

Registration to attend is free-of-charge - sign up now at: www.cleaningshow.co.uk.