A safe, secure and healthy workplace

Statement by
Our working environment has changed in many different ways. The needs of the workforce have increased in complexity, requiring great flexibility and mobility. In particular, Joachim believes the focus is currently on the digitisation of the working environment and the impact of those processes on working conditions.

From 17 to 20 October trade visitors from all over the world meet at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre for the bi-annual A+A, comprising both an international trade fair and a convention. According to Joachim Schäfer, managing director at Messe Düsseldorf, A+A 2017 will offer a full range of the latest global trends and products in industrial safety, health promotion in the workplace and safety management at work.

"Around 1900 exhibitors will be at this leading trade fair, and registrations have been received from all continents," Joachim states "A+A is the most important event for all professionals in industrial safety and security management, HR managers, works councils, buyers in industry, specialist retailers, company doctors, firefighters, the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), the police, staff at employers’ liability insurance associations, accident insurance companies and owners of small businesses."

A+A has always strived to helped to raise worldwide awareness of industrial safety and health promotion in the workplace. New developments have always featured in the range of topics at the trade fair and convention as soon as they arise. A lot has happened since the very first A+A, then called Trade Fair for Industrial Safety and Occupational Healthcare: 25 years ago the European Union introduced its first framework directive on industrial safety. Since then the EU has continually played a pioneering role with its high standards in protecting employees from health and safety hazards. Since 2008 the number of fatal occupational accidents has dropped by nearly one quarter. At the same time, there has been a 10-per-cent reduction in the number of employees in the EU with at least one work-related health problem or with a problem that has been aggravated by their work situation.  Nevertheless, there are still major challenges. It has been estimated that around 160,000 people die of work-related diseases in Europe every year. It is one of the highest priorities to maintain and update high standards in Europe. The European Commission has recently committed itself to implementing further key measures. Their purpose is to adapt EU law and employment protection legislation to suit changing employment patterns and developments within society.
Most companies – and indeed throughout Europe – have long been taking positive action on the understanding that preventative healthcare and health-promoting working conditions do not just cost money, but also save considerable amounts of cash which might be spent on accidents and illness-related absences. Also, in the long term, it means securing economic benefits:
•       Staff feel happy at work if their environment is healthy, safe and pleasant. It increases their creativity, productivity and therefore also the quality of their output.
•       Checking workplaces for potential hazards and revealing and removing deficits means improving people’s working routines. This makes a company both safer and more efficient.

A+A 2017 will feature the entire bandwidth of products and services in personal protection and in the realisation of safe and healthy working routines. Manufacturers will give convincing demonstrations of their innovative strength, including, among other things, corporate fashion, ergonomic office furniture, protective equipment, fire protection and emergency management and corporate environmental protection.

Running in parallel with the A+A trade fair, the 35th International Congress on Industrial Safety and Healthcare will provide comprehensive information on today's topics and challenges in the industry. As before, it will be organised by the German Federal Association for Occupational Safety and Health (Basi), whose thematic planning is moving ahead at full speed, after receiving numerous ideas and suggestions from the industry. All this input is now being evaluated, fleshed out and translated into a presentation programme. Again, the convention will feature over 50 series of talks, and more than 300 speakers will address current issues and outline potential solutions. As in previous years, the A+A Congress will include the conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a major programme item. It will consist of three sessions in which the following topics will be discussed by experts on employment, health and safety:
•       Occupational health and safety in the global supply chain
•       How can companies and employers collect and analyse occupational health and safety data in order to improve safety and personal protection at work?
•       Violence and psycho-social risks in the workplace

In addition to the trade fair and convention, other well established A+A programme items will be a range of forums, theme parks and special shows. They will illustrate specific solutions for specific areas and industries, providing visitors with hands-on experience of the relevant products.

The Health & Safety Meeting Point in Hall 10 is a special show created by the German Federal Association for Occupational Safety and Health (Basi) and its national and international partners. A wide range of promotional support organisations in health and safety will be represented here, i.e. employers’ liability insurance associations, trade unions, employers’ organisations, ministries, government institutions, professional and trade associations, universities and other institutions. For visitors the Meeting Point is the competence centre on all issues of occupational health and safety. Experts are available here on anything that might interest visitors in matters of regulations, protective equipment, hazardous substances, occupational diseases, workplace health promotion, etc. Such wide-ranging consultation is unique and can only be found with this bandwidth at A+A. In addition, a wide spectrum of information material and media will be available, supplemented by informative and entertaining activities at the exhibitions stands.

The Safety & Security Trend Forum in Hall 11 will feature simple, readily comprehensible talks on six focal areas, giving insights into recent developments. The following key areas are currently planned:
•       Avoidance of airborne dust
•       Explosion safety
•       Safe handling and storage of hazardous materials
•       Fire protection and emergency management
•       Fall protection

The theme park entitled Fire Protection and Emergency Management in Hall 6 will feature informative presentations and live demonstrations, showing what action can be taken to prevent accidents and large-scale disasters and how to conduct rescue operations. The German Association of Plant Fire Services (WFVD) will provide information on corporate security and fire protection, especially on
•       rescue operations in a pit,
•       rescue operations in a container,
•       rescue operations/evacuations on a platform and
•       rescue operations on scaffolding

One topic will be the definition of roles in preventative care, intervention and interface discussions within a company.
Working clothes and PPE are important ways to protect wearers from accidents – but only if they are genuinely used. Wearing comfort and attractive design considerably increase acceptance among users. PPE manufacturers are therefore increasingly keen to focus on aspects of fashion. Presentations at the daily A+A Fashion Shows in Hall 11 will be both lively and appealing, showing the diversity and fashionable character of contemporary working clothes and PPE. High-quality design and safety have long ceased to be incompatible, a development which is clearly borne out by smart solutions and new materials.

The stage programme Workplace Design & Corporate Health in Hall 10 will concentrate on the ergonomic design of workplaces and routines in the office as well as on workplace health promotion. The main focus will be on conveying good practice, covering the criteria of people-friendly workplace design, human-to-machine interfaces, preventative healthcare and safety, demographics and cost-effectiveness. Topical issues discussed on this platform will include, for instance, age-appropriate workplace design, lighting, air conditioning and acoustics.  On this stage presentations will be welcome not only from non-commercial institutions and organisations, but also from exhibitors. All talks will be given simultaneous interpreting.

Joachim asks: "How are rescue operations conducted in extreme situations? This will be demonstrated in Hall 6 by our cooperation partners, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and the German Life Saving Organisation (DLRG) at a special show entitled Safe Rescue Operations from Heights and Depths. Using a diving pool and a roofed-over climbing wall, the demonstrations will feature rescue operations of accident victims in extreme situations, both above and under water. The focus will be on methods and procedures in rescue operations as well as on the occupational safety of helpers and appropriate personal protection equipment (e.g. fall protection)."

Partner country: UK
The A+A 2017 support programme also includes activities run by this year’s partner country, the UK, with the aim of encouraging German-British dialogue on industrial safety. The various events will be attended by representatives of important industry associations, institutions and politics. The trade fair, the special shows, the presentations at the convention and the ILO Conference will all involve participation of the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), an independent expert committee which advises the UK government. The HSE acts in the public interest, aiming to minimise fatal accidents and serious work-related diseases in the UK workplace.

The partner country was chosen by the Advisory Board at A+A 2015 and therefore clearly before the Brexit referendum. Since then circumstances have of course changed, making an international exchange of experience more important than ever before. The current political situation throws up numerous questions for everyone, including suppliers of safety devices and personal protection equipment. Being a major industry platform, A+A 2017 will give space to intensive discussions on institutional and business relations, with opportunities to learn more about the UK market with nearly 32 million in gainful employment.
Traditionally, the number of exhibitors from the UK has always been the biggest at A+A: 85 UK exhibitors came in 2015, presenting their innovative products and services within a space of over 3,700 square metres.

Favourable market conditions for A+A
Anyone travelling to A+A Düsseldorf this October will experience an industry that is clearly growing. The worldwide PPE market currently has a volume of around EUR 18 billion. 38 per cent of this figure (i.e. EUR 5.8 billion) accounts for the markets of the European Union, including EUR 1.8 billion in Germany alone. Experts are expecting the market to grow even further.

These positive prospects will be of great benefit to exhibitors at A+A 2017. Thanks to a high level of endorsement among international experts, the trade fair and convention have become established as leading global platforms for occupational health and safety. A+A 2015 attracted 65,000 trade visitors from over 80 countries, with an international share of around 30%. Nearly two thirds of all visitors were senior or middle management with major decision-making powers in procurement. After the trade fair exhibitors said they were impressed by the high level of technical expertise among visitors and were mostly very happy with the outcome for their businesses. Visitors, in turn, praised the comprehensive international offers in all the different sections, the large number of innovative products and the supplementary information they received at the convention and through the support programme. After the trade fair more than half of all visitors said they had found suppliers and business partners, and 97% said they would recommend a visit to A+A.

35th International A+A Congress re-structured
The International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupa-tional Medicine (A+A) has been the most important congress for safety and health at work – since the beginning of the 1950s. Cele-brating its 35th anniversary this year it will feature a changed structure but be held in parallel with A+A 2017 again. Also remain-ing unchanged is the high-calibre line-up of 350 experts from the fields of politics, research and health and safety practice who will deliver talks on societal developments, planned reforms in national and European policy, technical and organizational innovations as well as current scientific findings. From 17 to 20 October the Fed-eral German Association for Occupational Safety and Health (Basi) as the organizer of the congress will welcome to the tune of 5,500 visitors to more than 50 lecture series at CCD Congress Center Düsseldorf Süd.

This year the International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occu-pational Medicine along with the leading trade fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work will already be opened on the eve of A+A 2017, Monday, 16 October, at the Düsseldorf venue “Classic Remise”. Guests at the opening gala will be welcomed by the Chairwomen of Basi (the Federal German Association for Occupational Safety and Health) Sonja König, the President of the A+A advisory board Klaus Bornack and Martin Temple, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in his capacity as a representative of the A+A partner country Great Britain. The opening will be rounded off by a keynote presented by Prof. Dr. Armin Nassehi of the Institute for Sociology at the LMU Munich.
The renowned “Deutscher Arbeitsschutzpreis” (German Health and Safety at Work Prize) will be presented at a separate event as a key component of the Congress on Tuesday afternoon. It honours the best 2 technical and organizational health and safety solutions for small and large companies.

New Structure and Special Events
With the opening ceremony brought forward by one day, the complete first day of the A+A Congress is now available for expert events. On the first three A+A days these focus entirely on safety, health and ergonom-ics while the last day – Friday, 20 October – will come with a “Focus on Professions”. Lectures will revolve around issues of education and the cooperation between various professions in health and safety as well as presentations of health & safety at work as an attractive education and career option.

Also new: the event series “Praxis Interaktiv“ with practical approaches for the further development of basic concepts and themes for safety at the workplace such as hazard assessment or health promotion in the workplace (BGF).

Focal Points and Overriding Aspects
Overriding focal themes of the A+A Congress 2017 include events on prevention culture and digitalization. Alongside the “Arbeiten 4.0“ (Work 4.0) theme covered in the “Industrie 4.0” (Industry 4.0) event, assis-tance systems for health and safety and human-robot collaboration will be centre stage. Another central theme will be carcinogenic hazardous substances such as asbestos, which are featured under the motto “Kampf dem Berufskrebs” (Fighting Occupational Cancer) as part of an EU-wide campaign.

Specific sectors and/or professions are covered at the A+A Congress 2017 with focal sessions – such as offices with a special attention to the design of open-plan offices. The construction sector as well as public service will also be addressed specifically. Furthermore, there will be a separate “Forum Arbeitsschutzverwaltung” (OSH Management Fo-rum).

Thursday, 19 October 2017, sees the first 1-day event held on the theme of “Disabled Employees’ Representation and Prevention”. Disabled Employees’ Representatives are a new group of visitors to A+A. The event, which was specifically designed in response to the current inclusion debate, will deal with the newly adopted “Bundesteil-habegesetz” (German Participation Act), the implementation of the UN-Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and especially with accessibility as a central theme for health and safety.

Forming another focal theme will be the events “Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)”, “Biomaterials”, “Noise” and “Optical Radiation”. Under the heading “Biologically Effective Lighting” the new lighting con-cepts adapted to the human day-night rhythm will be discussed.

Twelve lecture series of the A+A Congress will have German-English simultaneous interpretation. The A+A Congress will be accompanied by the high-calibre Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Forum of the International Social Security Association.

International Specialist Retail Conference at A+A 2017:
New Momentum for PPE Sales in a Digital World
From 17 to 20 October 2017 everything will revolve around Safety, Security and Health at Work in Düsseldorf. Then trade visitors from all over the world will meet for the A+A International Trade Fair with Congress at the exhibition centre. We already know for sure today that A+A 2017 will present the world’s latest trends and products in the fields of safety at the workplace, health promotion at work and security management in companies. To the tune of 1,900 exhibitors will take part in the leading international trade fair and companies from all continents have registered.
Those coming to A+A in Düsseldorf in October will experience an industry in growth. The market for personal protective equipment is considered especially dynamic: it currently boasts a volume of some EUR 18 billion worldwide. 38% of this (EUR 5.8 billion) are accounted for by EU markets, EUR 1.8 billion by Germany alone. Experts expect the market to continue growing.
At A+A 2017 international specialist retailers for personal protective equipment will find a complete overview of innovations – and more new impulses for their business than at any other event. Here the international PPE Specialist Conference entitled “New Momentum for PPE Sales in a Digital World” this year also plays a pivotal role. On 18 October the Conference will take place from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm at Congress Center Süd (CCD. Süd) at Düsseldorf exhibition centre. Speakers from Amazon Business, Lyreco, Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions Inc., Uvex Safety Group and Zamro, to name but a few companies, and from the Employers’ Liability Insurance for the Construction Sector will discuss with specialist retailers from throughout the world the challenges posed by the speedy growth of e-commerce, in particular. New regulations governing PPE and cooperation possibilities between manufacturers and dealers also feature on the agenda.

The lectures of the international specialist trade conference will be in English. Tickets cost EUR 110 online, and EUR 135 on site in Düsseldorf. Tickets include participation in all lectures of the specialist conference, a snack lunch and admission to A+A 2017.

Ground-Breaking Ceremony for New Southern Section
Building works for modern south entrance and new hall 1 start
Master plan for modernisation strengthens trade fair as economic factor
for Düsseldorf and its international standing
On July 14, 2017 Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Düsseldorf, Helmut Oberholz, Managing Partner of the commissioned architects’ office slapa oberholz pszczulny sop architekten, Thomas Kleine-Kalmer, division manager of general contractor Köster GmbH and Werner M. Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, kicked off one of the most ambitious construction projects in the history of Messe Düsseldorf with the ground-breaking ceremony.
By summer 2019 the company will build not only a new multi-functional hall with conference facilities but also a fully glazed new entrance south complete with a translucent, LED-lit canopy roof and adjacent underground parking. As a result one of the most state-of-the-art and multi-functional trade fair locations and convention venues will come into being in the southern part of the Düsseldorf exhibition centre meeting both the highest architectural and functional standards. The investment in this new Complex South totals EUR 140 million.
“With the start of construction we have taken an important step towards the complete modernisation and renovation of our premises at our homebase; and we continue adapting the exhibition centre to our customers’ demands and requirements thereby increasing our service excellence even further,” delights Werner Dornscheidt and adds: “And as always this is done without any subsidies.” By 2030 Messe Düsseldorf will invest a total of some EUR 636 million in its premises. “With this move Messe Düsseldorf secures its position as one of the leading trade fair companies worldwide and as the most profitable trade fair organiser with its own premises in Europe,” says Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel commenting on the construction project and goes on to say: “Messe Düsseldorf is a key economic factor for Düsseldorf – investment in its future benefits the whole region.” 2

South Entrance: a New Face to the City
Helmut Oberholz, Managing Partner of the commissioned architects slapa oberholz pszczulny architekten, is proud to have also been commissioned with the new Complex South after completing the extension of the northern part of the exhibition centre in 2004: “The centrepiece of our design is an oversized canopy roof made of translucent fibre glass fabric measuring 7,800m² and installed 20 metres above ground to mark the new entrance. We are extremely pleased to be able to create a landmark for this unique location between the River Rhine and Nordpark while giving the exhibition centre a new face to the city visible from afar.”
The translucent, illuminated canopy welcomes trade fair and convention visitors alike and serves a number of purposes such as taxi lanes, local public transport stops and access to its underground parking. From here trade fair visitors will cross the entrance portal to enter the 16.5 m high, transparent foyer. Opening up to the forecourt via an all-glass façade spanning over 82 metres, the foyer doubles as a venue in itself. The cantilevered, glazed conference room on the upper floor that protrudes into this atrium-like entrance concourse creates an exciting spatial structure. Additionally, there are over 2,000 square metres of space available for such necessary services as ticket offices or cloakrooms.
From the new south entrance visitors can enter the new hall 1 right away. Boasting a length of 158 metres, a width of 77 metres and more than 12,000 square metres of space without supports, its layout roughly corresponds to that of Halls 8 a and b, offering a total of 558 square metres more space than the two old halls 1 and 2 together. In terms of technical features and its enormous flexibility the new hall lives up to both exhibitors’ and visitors’ highest demands while meeting the high standards of the exhibition centre as a whole. The first floor of the hall will house a new conference area with 6 convention rooms, which can be divided up and flexibly adjusted in size to the various required purposes. A transparent bridge connects the first floor with the existing Congress Center.
“Assignments of this magnitude, where up to 500 workers will be simultaneously busy at the construction site during the peak phase of the interior work, are not uncommon for us but prove a challenge for us time and again,” explains Thomas Kleine-Kalmer, at the ground-breaking ceremony who is Division Manager at 3

general contractor Köster GmbH, based in Osnabrück. “We are happy to have been awarded this project so important for Düsseldorf’s cityscape and be able to jointly shape the future of Messe Düsseldorf.”
Messe Düsseldorf 2030: Strategy for the Future
Apart from energy-efficient building technology, flexible use and adjacent congress facilities are among the most important requirements made on current future-proof exhibition centres today. “Over the past 15 to 20 years the trade fair business has undergone massive changes in the wake of globalisation,” explains trade fair boss Dornscheidt. “Today we operate in a multi-national industry rolling out our exhibition themes worldwide. At the same time, our No. 1 trade fairs here in Düsseldorf have changed in character. They have become places for international knowledge transfer and stakeholder networking – from science and start-ups to multi-national groups. This means that accompanying conferences are also becoming more and more important.”
The Messe Düsseldorf Group of companies has responded to these developments early on with its international strategy ‘Messe Düsseldorf 2030’; it not only places the extension of the global portfolio and strengthening of international sales in the focus of entrepreneurial activities but has also developed a master plan for modernising the exhibition centre that covers all rooms used by customers at the exhibition centre. This master plan kicked off with the building of the new halls 6 and 7 in 2000 and is based on the company’s ongoing assessment of all planned projects in view of customers’ real needs – in keeping with the dictates of efficiency and sustainable development. By autumn 2016 11 out of the 19 halls had already been re-built or completely renovated; as early as 2004 entrance north was entirely revamped to now also feature a direct light rail line to the city centre and Düsseldorf main station. “We have traditionally seen customer focus and service in an integrative manner,” stresses Werner Dornscheidt. The ‘Messe Düsseldorf 2030’ concept therefore considers development of the premises and the portfolio – i.e. the trade fair organiser’s hardware and software – to be equally important.