Register Now for Action on Site Health - Scotland

Following several successful events in London and Chester, 'Action on Site Health' (AOSH) is being brought to Edinburgh for the first time. The agenda has been tailored for Site Managers and Senior Health & Safety professionals working on Scottish construction projects and you are invited to attend. REGISTER NOW!

About the Event

Hosted on Tuesday 18^th April at the stunning Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club in Edinburgh, attendees will arrive to a delicious breakfast and enjoy plenty of networking opportunities before the event opens. Our speakers and interactive activities will then cover a variety of topics from both regulatory and contractor perspectives, including respiratory health, mental health, MSDs and hearing.

As with our previous AOSH events, we are calling for action on site health because there are a huge range of health hazards which simultaneously endanger health on site; from uncontrolled welding fume and debilitating work-induced stress, to the mishandling of heavy objects and uncontrolled construction dust.

The necessity of working together to address site health as a whole is also evidenced in the latest HSE statistics & Labour Force Survey:

• 1.8 million workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) in 2021/22.
• 722,000 workers suffering from a new case of work-related ill health in 2021/22.
• 13,000 deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposure at work, primarily to chemicals or dust.
• 19,000 estimated new cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work annually over the last three years, according to self reports from the Labour Force Survey.
• The HSE estimates that breathing metal fume at work leads to 40-50 welders each year being hospitalised.
• An estimated 11,000 workers were reported with work-related hearing problems, 2019/20 to 2021/22 (Labour Force Survey).

Without best practice hazard control measures in place, construction workers will continue to suffer from occupational ill-health.

The Agenda

8am - Arrival - Arrive at The Dalmahoy Hotel and grab yourself a tea or coffee before tucking into tasty pastries and a "Full Scottish Breakfast Buffet".

9am - Welcome & Introductions - Settle down at your table for a welcome presentation brought to you by Kevin Dupont of RVT Group. We will then pass over to your host for the day, Colin Nottage (Construction Dust Partnership, Interesting Health & Safety Podcast).

9.10am – Keynote Speech - Dr David Fishwick, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Chief Medical Officer of the HSE, demonstrates the devastating effects of respirable hazards on long term health through hard hitting case studies.

9.50am - Three Things You Should Know About Construction Noise - How do you know if you have a workplace noise problem? How do you know your hearing protection works? How do you reduce the noise? Chris Steel (HSE) outlines regulatory points and gives you three practical steps that can be carried out when you get back on site.

10.10am - Preventing Stress in Construction - Mark Ashby (HSE) discusses the importance of preventative measures to tackle the root causes of work-related stress as part of a mental health at work programme, HSE’s Working Minds Campaign and the support available to small construction businesses who to want to start looking at this important issue.

10.30am - Quiz Master; Construction Edition– Go head-to-head with your fellow attendees as Colin Nottage leads this fast-paced quiz on construction health. The top quizzer will win an exclusive RVT Group 30th anniversary gift box, including a gold parker pen, delicious chocolates and more!

10.50am - Networking & Exhibition Break – Grab yourself a coffee and a snack as you network with representatives from the HSE, HCLG, CDP and BOHS. See a selection of RVT Group’s innovative hazard control solutions on display and learn how they could assist on your projects.

11.20am - ‘Construction Dust and 20 years of COSHH; Are We in Control?’ - Robert Bradford (BAM Nuttall) considers a selection of means used to highlight the significant danger to health posed by construction dusts and respirable crystalline silica. Robert will also look at the different methods of how these hazards can be controlled.

11.40am - Tackling MSDs Head On - George Mosey (Laing O’Rourke) explains how Musculoskeletal Disorders are caused and offers live case study examples of how we can work to avoid them.

12.00pm - Implementing Best Practice On Site; A Contractor's Perspective - Multiple real life case studies covering a range of hazards on site will be presented, outlining the importance of implementing best practice on site and the different methods of hazard control available.

12.20pm - What do YOU think? - Led by Colin Nottage, this session will see attendees given different topics to share ideas on together. After a period of discussion, individual tables will be encouraged to share their unique perspectives and innovative ideas with the room.

1pm to 2pm - Networking Lunch & Close – As the event draws to a close, we invite you again to network with fellow attendees and enjoy a delicious lunch before you leave. Pre-booked meetings will also be held during this time.

Download the full agenda here.

Don’t delay; there are only 200 spaces available and these are already going fast!

This event is FREE to attend, but you must REGISTER FOR A TICKET.