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News release

14 September 2011 - NR 44/11

Virtual construction conference has worldwide reach

A virtual conference for construction safety experts will be taking place on 18 and 19 October 2011.

This international e-event will be hosted by the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), in a bid to make best practice accessible to industry professionals worldwide.

David Ackerley, chair of IOSH’s Construction Group, said: “This year’s conference is an opportunity not to be missed for health and safety professionals within construction across the globe.

“For the past 10 years, InterConstruct has been a bricks and mortar conference – delegates have had to travel to venues leaving the comfort of their own home. This year things are different, for the first time ever everything will be done online, making it more affordable, accessible and convenient for all.”

Over the course of the two days professionals will have the opportunity to contribute to informed debate on key construction safety issues including cranes, working at height, regulatory issues and prevention by design.

Once registered, those taking part in InterConstruct 2011 simply log on to the internet and can view the conference live, or for up to 30 days after the event has taken place.

Ian Strudley, HM principal specialist inspector for the Health and Safety Executive and a speaker at the event, said: “Working in the construction industry can be hazardous. Indeed the incidence of diseases such as musculoskeletal disorders, hand-arm vibration and occupational deafness exceed the all-industry average; and, new cases of asbestos related disease occur mainly in construction workers.

"The opportunity to talk about how to manage health risks in construction at InterConstruct will raise awareness that workplace ill-health is preventable, and that these risks can be managed in a number of ways, such as: modifying processes to eliminate the risk, controlling exposures and introducing precautionary measures to prevent adverse effects.”

Key speakers featuring at the conference include William M. Halkovitch division manager of safety and environmental compliance at Harsco Infrastructure Americas, John Lacey chief executive of Lincsafe and John Johnson, vice-president and director of environmental, safety, health, and security at Black & Veatch.

As a fully interactive conference delegates have the opportunity to participate in a variety of live and on-demand educational webcasts – all with a focus on global construction safety. On top of that they can interact with peers and speakers from around the world in the InterConstruct virtual conference network.

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Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.