Making the world a safer place

23rd July 2024

A-OSH Expo 2024 was a testament to the industry’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and education.

Held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 11 to 13 June, this year’s A-OSH Expo once again set the stage for industry professionals and exhibitors to converge and share the latest advancements in occupational health and safety. While the official numbers weren’t available at the time of print (we’ll have the details in a separate story in our fortnightly newsletter), this year’s rendition brought together leading manufacturers, suppliers, and experts to showcase pioneering products and services aimed at enhancing workplace safety.

Ventria: Leading the way with AED solutions

Blake Grace, the director of Ventria, highlighted the importance of making meaningful connections at the expo. “I think we’ve made some good connections, and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Ventria, known for its connected automated external defibrillator (AED) solutions, emphasised the educational aspect of its presence, with Grace noting that many people are unaware of the critical role AEDs play in saving lives during sudden cardiac arrest. “A lot of what we do is that educational drive – educating the South African public about what they need to do in the event of cardiac arrest,” he explained. “Hopefully they see us as a trusted advisor when it comes to purchasing a device of this nature.”

In addition to its AED solutions, Ventria showcased the Life Vac, a choking rescue device that has saved over 2,000 lives globally. “You can use it on yourself. It is simple, safe, and easy to use. It’s also regulated and tested internationally,” Grace said, underscoring the company’s commitment to safety and innovation.

SHOWA: Pioneering sustainable safety solutions

SHOWA’s business development manager for South Africa, Delen Poragadu, expressed optimism about this year’s expo. “I think it’s more positive than last year. The visitors coming to this year’s show are a more mature crowd that want to interact, and are of a higher quality.”

The Japanese glove manufacturer showcased its fully mechanical biodegradable gloves, which significantly reduce environmental impact by biodegrading within one to five years in active landfill sites. “These gloves will normally take 100 years to biodegrade,” explained Poragadu. This aligns with SHOWA’s mission to educate and bring environmentally friendly solutions to the African market.

Select PPE: Introducing new protective gear

Marishka Ferreira, pricing manager at Select PPE, shared that this year’s expo saw a higher quality of customer interactions, which is promising for future sales. “This show is better compared to last year, in terms of customer base. Sales-wise, I think we will get more out of this year’s show. The customers are definitely of a higher quality,” she revealed.

Select PPE introduced its new flat fold filtering face piece 2 (FFP2) mask, the Force, which is designed to help provide respiratory protection for the wearer against certain airborne particles. It has an enclosed nose bridge, which heightens safety, as exposed nose bridges sometimes injure employees when they remove the mask from their pockets. The masks are also individually wrapped for better hygiene.

Select PPE focuses on providing top-quality protective gear at competitive prices. “We’re still doing the best quality, but at better prices. To achieve this, we’re cutting out the middleman. The masks are also produced locally,” Ferreira said, highlighting the company’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.

Saiosh: Championing education and innovation

The South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh), represented by its membership and communications manager Gareth Nortjé, has been a staple at A-OSH Expo for over a decade, running the free-to-attend seminar theatre. “It’s been wonderful and jampacked. We’ve had some brilliant speakers, new products, innovations, PPE suppliers, software, and AI technology. It’s been great,” enthused Nortjé.

Saiosh’s role in educating attendees through seminars and engaging with both current and potential new members reiterates the importance of knowledge sharing and continuous learning in the field of occupational health and safety. “I think all of the seminar theatres, not just the Saiosh free-to-attend seminar, bring feet through the door, and it is something for someone to attend. Go and sit down, and learn something new,” Nortjé expanded.

Safequip: Addressing modern safety challenges

Frikkie Stroh, marketing and export director at Safequip, discussed the introduction of the company’s lithium battery fire extinguisher, addressing the growing concern of lithium battery fires. “No ordinary fire extinguisher puts out a lithium battery fire. Therefore, we have introduced a lithium battery fire extinguisher, which we also have at the show.”

Safequip has been exhibiting at A-OSH for 13 years, consistently receiving positive feedback and using the platform to promote new products. “We had very good feedback on the previous shows, and it also gives you an opportunity to promote new products,” Stroh said. He emphasised the importance of attending such expos to create brand awareness and share vital safety information, which reflects Safequip’s proactive approach to evolving safety challenges.

RMA: Getting people home safely

Ronwin Goliath, Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) Prevention Programme manager for COID and group operations, highlighted the Prevention Programme and the RMA’s rehabilitation services. “The Prevention Programme is a free programme to our Metals Class members. It provides end-to-end strategic safety solutions for our members. The rehabilitation programme is free for our members that have been injured in mining incidents, to get them back as contributing members within their families and their community,” she expanded.

Goliath noted the expo’s value in exposing RMA to new industries and validating the necessity of its programmes. “It’s nice in a way, because you’re getting exposed to different types of industries. Some industries that we don’t necessarily cover have expressed their interest, and they love the work that we’re doing,” she said. “It’s a validation that what we do is actually needed out there as well, maybe not just in our industries that we have a licence for.”

Dräger South Africa: Focusing on air purifying respirators (APRs)

Quinton Taylor, marketing manager at Dräger South Africa, shared that this year’s expo saw increased interest in the company’s APRs, a product line gaining prominence since the Covid-19 pandemic. “Generally, we’ll have maybe five or six heads with a few different masks. This year, with the way we’ve set it up with all the different products, it seems to have created quite a bit of attention. Generally, where guys might not have come onto the stand, they’ve stopped and looked for a while and then they’ve actually walked on because you can see all of our masks,” he explained.

Dräger, a consistent exhibitor since the expo’s inception, had positive traction and engagement, showcasing its ability to respond to changing safety needs.

BSI: Accelerating sustainability in Africa

Elizma van Niekerk, marketing executive at BSI, emphasised the company’s commitment to sustainability at this year’s expo: “We specialise in ISO certification and training as well as product certification. So, that is really encompassing all of our products towards sustainability, occupational health and safety, facilities management, and asset management.”

Van Niekerk noted improved foot traffic and strategic stand placement, which contributed to a successful exhibition. “I think this year it is a little bit more organised in terms of foot traffic. It’s not masses and then dead quiet – I think it’s more consistent foot traffic throughout the day,” she elaborated. BSI’s focus on sustainability and occupational health and safety shows its dedication to supporting Africa’s progress toward a safer and greener future.