LEARN WHY SMES SHOULD ADOPT THE BEST PRACTICES IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH AT OSH SOUTH INDIA 2018

To further spread awareness on Occupational Safety & Health, UBM India has a dedicated show for the South Indian industry OSH South India. After organising four successful editions in Chennai, the 5th edition of OSH South India is slated to be held in Hyderabad on 28th-29th June at Hitex, Hyderabad.

SMEs employ 50% of the country’s workforce and within the next five years are destined to contribute 25% of India’s total GDP. Therefore, it is pertinent that SME sector pays utmost importance to the safety and health of its core assets its employees. Unfortunately, the SME owners are so engrossed with business growth that they are not able to devote sufficient time and resources for the welfare of their employees.

Most owners consider health and safety to be primarily the responsibility of the employees themselves and unfortunately without access to any kind of formal training on OSH, the overall awareness levels in this sector are low. No wonder the highest incidence of chronic health problems amongst workers is reported from the SME sector only.

Therefore, it is imperative upon all key stakeholders to effectively communicate the cost-benefit ratio of adopting best practices in OSH to SMEs. Also, it is generally found that key customers of SMEs are some of the well-known organisations, which in turn can play a key role in enforcing OSH practices among SMEs. Some of the factors that can motivate SMEs to invest in OSH best practices are: increase in productivity through availability of a healthy workforce; reputation enhancement; adherence to local laws and regulations and hence avoidance of punitive action from government bodies; and increased customer satisfaction.

UBM India has been organising OSH India, South Asia's largest safety & health expo and conference in Mumbai since 2012. The exhibition brings together more than 6000 national and international key industry professionals across construction, manufacturing, PPE and other key industry domains. The 2017 edition saw over 140 brands offering exclusive deals on more than 10,000 products across safety & health, ergonomics, material handling and service management including work wear, evacuation systems, gas detection, behavioural safety services and more.

The onground promotion activities are going on with full fervour across the various industrial zones in South India and we expect more than 4,000+ visitors across the two days of exhibition and conference. The UBM marketing team has reached out to most industrial clusters and key organisations in five states and more than 25 cities in South India to ensure their participation in the exhibition cum conference. In Tamil Nadu we have visited the Ambattur Industrial Association in Chennai as well as the Small and Tiny Industries Association. In Karnataka, Peenya Industries Association in Bengaluru, North Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association, Electronic City Industrial Association and the MSME Development Centre in Hubli have been extended the invite. Telangana is the main focus of promotion activies and accordingly Cherlapally Industries Association, Builders Association of India, Telangana Real Estate Development Association and Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises have been visited.

As India becomes the top choice for doing business, we would need to tackle the cause and incidence of occupational accidents and ill health through visible leadership. OSH India through its shows provides a unique platform for safety professionals to network with industry stalwarts and gain knowledge on the latest developments in the space of Occupational Safety & Health. Over the last decade OSH India has received a tremendous response from industry professionals in India and has shown remarkable growth.

The Conference: Promoting a Safe and Healthy Environment at Workplace

The show also features a two-day conference to drive occupational safety and health as a priority for companies, while reiterating the significance and business benefits of investing in the health and safety of its workforce and in-turn, its own organization and the economy at large.

This year OSH India is also taking the initiative to spread awareness regarding the importance of occupational safety and health for working women, workplace ergonomics and employee health & efficiency.

Some of the key topics to be discussed as part of OSH India 2018 conference include:

• Challenges in Implementing Laws and legislation Related to OSH in India
• Redefining Mindsets in the Construction Industry Regarding OSH
• Why SMEs Need and Should Adopt the Best Practices in OSH
• Getting the Best Out of a Fire Safety Strategy
• OSH Best Practices For Controlling Debilitating Injuries to Workers
• How Employers and Employees Can Join Hands to Ensure a Safer Working Environment in the Pharmaceutical Industry