After two years, the eagerly awaited appointment with A+A, the biggest and most important exhibition dedicated to creating a healthier, safer, and more secure work environment, returns. From 17 to 20 October, the halls of Messe Dusseldorf will host more than 1,900 exhibitors coming from around the world, in order to present the latest trends and products in the fields of individual protection, industrial safety, health promotion at work and security management in companies.
In terms of visitors, more than 65 thousand trade visitors coming from more than 80 countries worldwide, which includes a 30 percent international presence, are expected to attend. This market – that is to say the international one of PPE -, is currently worth around 18 billion euros, with 38 percent (5.8 billion euros) represented by the markets of the European Union, and 1.8 billion euros generated by Germany alone.
This edition of A+A will once again see the event follow in the footsteps of its very own mission, which since 1954 has seen it actively involved in raising global awareness about the issue of industrial safety and health promotion at work, through dedicated talks and live demonstrations.
It all begins with the traditional Congress on Industrial Safety and Healthcare, now in its 35th edition and organized by the Federal German Association for Occupational Safety and Health (Basi), which will propose more than 50 lecture series held by more than 300 expert speakers, dedicated to the latest news and products and future challenges of the sector.
As with its previous editions, the A+A Congress will include the conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a major component in its programme. It will consist of three sessions in which experts on employment, health and safety will discuss the following topics:
- Occupational health and safety in the global supply chain
- How companies and employers can collect and analyse occupational health and safety data in order to improve safety and personal protection at work
- Violence and psychosocial risks in the workplace
Further enriching the A+A programme will be a range of forums, theme parks and special shows dedicated to specific solutions for specific areas and sectors. Among these, standing out in particular is the Health & Safety Meeting Point in Hall 10, 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 in this Special Show, including employers’ liability insurance associations, trade unions, employers’ organisations, government institutions, etc. Experts are available here on anything that might interest visitors in matters of regulations, protective equipment, hazardous substances, occupational diseases, workplace health promotion, etc., offering a unique service of great value that can only be found at A+A.
The Safety & Security Trend Forum in Hall 11 is another important area that will feature talks on some key areas of the safety industry like the safe handling and storage of hazardous materials, fire protection, emergency management, and fall protection.
The theme park entitled “Fire Protection and Emergency Management” in Hall 6 will feature informative presentations and live demonstrations, showing what actions 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.
Always in Hall 6, will be presented a special show entitled Safe Rescue Operations from Heights and Depths, realized in collaboration with the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and the German Life Saving Organisation (DLRG).
A+A will also showcase the fashion side of working clothes, with live fashion shows presented daily in Hall 11.
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.
As with every edition, A+A will have a Focus country, which at this edition was identified as the United Kingdom, with the aim of encouraging German-British dialogue on industrial safety, while taking a closer look at the reality of the British market, which employs almost 32 million individuals, and its transformation after the recent Brexit referendum. Traditionally, the number of exhibitors from the UK has always been the biggest at A+A, with 85 UK exhibitors in 2015, within a space of over 3,700 square metres.
