SED 2008 preview: seminars and conferences

This year, SED will host a number of free seminars from Hire Association Europe (HAE) and the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). All the HAE seminars will take place in the Green Pavilion and give a short, sharp review of the subject in 30 minutes. Each seminar runs each day but the running order varies. On the opening day of the show, the first seminar will help visitors discover how new technology can be used to minimise plant theft.

Health and safety management is a major topic for everyone in the construction industry and the subject of the second seminar on the opening day. This will look beyond the legal and moral obligations to explain the benefits of correct health and safety management.

Changes to the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) come into effect in August and form the subject of the third seminar.

Driver training

Learning more about compulsory drivers CPC training is the subject for Perry Preston of J Coates (HGV Services). Starting in September 2009, the driver CPC will require all category C and D licence holders to undergo 35 hours of training every five years and introduce an additional qualification for new drivers wanting to drive professionally.

Managing hand-arm vibration will focus on showing delegates how to manage the effects of HAV. This will range from assessment and identification measures, to eliminating or reducing the risk of exposure.

Clinton Patterson, director of eRento, will tell attendees about e-commerce and your business, and how to exploit online sales without their own website.

To address tower crane safety, the CPA is running a seminar at 11am each morning and workshops at 2pm each afternoon. All are free and take place in the Gemini Suite in the main Rockingham Building.

The first morning sees the official launch of the Best Practise Guide for Maintenance and Thorough Examination of Tower Cranes, with contributions from Ian Simpson of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the CPA, Bovis Lend Lease and the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed). Morning sessions on the following two days comprise workshops on the best practise guide for tower crane owners and other interested parties.

The daily afternoon session starts at 2pm and will look at tower crane best practice for contractors. Syd Appleyard, chairman of the CPA's Tower Crane Interest Group, will lead the session, with speakers including the CPA's Tim Watson and Ian Simpson from the HSE.