Work at Height Conference speakers confirmed

The Access Industry Forum (AIF) has confirmed the speakers for the second National Work at Height Conference, which will take place on 14 November at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford, UK.

Peter Bennett OBE, chairman of the AIF, will host the one-day conference alongside University of Greenwich visiting scholar Dr Shaun Lundy, who will chair the event.

A total of 13 speakers, including Jason Anchor MBE, Paul Blanchard and Dylan Skelhorn of the No Falls Foundation, will give talks about the topics expected to shape the future of the access industry and about height safety issues.

The AIF said that figures from the Health and Safety Executive – the UK government agency responsible for the regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare – showed there were 40 working at height related fatalities in the UK between 2018 and 2019.

The conference’s keynote address will be given by Sarah Jardin, acting head of the HSE Construction Division. It is said that Jardin’s speech will touch up the latest trends and developments in safety and will include the HSE’s formal response to the inquiry recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height.

Peter Bennett OBE, AIF chairman, said, “It’s the only conference dedicated exclusively to access and safety, making it a real highlight of the events calendar. I’m certain our delegates will go home with valuable new-found insights into the key topics set to shape the future of working at height.”

A work at height exhibition will also be run alongside this year’s conference. Representatives from the AFI-Group, Euro Towers, Haki, Kee Safety Group, Nationwide Platforms, Pop-Up Products and Spanset, will join all 11 AIF member organisations at the exhibition.