Communicator

2017 10 COMMUNICATOR W H O · W H AT · W H E R E JANUARY 23 to 26, 2017 AME Roundup 2017 • The Association for Mineral Exploration Roundup 2017 at Can- ada Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, will bring together geoscientists, prospect- ors, investors, suppliers and First Nations partners to share ideas that will help shape the future of mineral exploration and development in B.C. and throughout the world. Learn, share ideas and connect with others from every aspect of the industry. Information: RoundupAMEBC.ca MARCH 7 to 11, 2017 The International Fluid Power Exposition 2017 • IFPE 2017 will showcase the latest innovations and expertise from suppliers, service providers, engineers and manufac- turers in the fluid power, power transmis- sion and motion control industries at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Co-located with CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, the largest international gathering for the construction industries, attendees will have access to the latest products and innov- ations from over 400 exhibitors. Information: IFPE.com MARCH 22 to 24, 2017 Power Transmission Distributors Associa- tion Conference 2017 • The PTDA 2017 Leadership Development Conference at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, will help atten- dees set up their "leadership game" while networking with power transmission/ motion control industry peers. Educational sessions are designed for emerging and sea- soned executives who want to build leader- ship skills, and the conference is open to all employees of PTDA member companies. Information: PTDA.org APRIL 22 to 27, 2017 Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Con- vention 2017 • ISRI 2017 will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, providing exclusive access to quality exhibitors and the latest equipment, products, and services for the scrap recycling industry. Information: ISRIconvention.org APRIL 24 to 28, 2017 Hannover Messe 2017: "Integrated Industry – Creating Value" • Discover an unpreced- ented range of product innovations and the latest technology at Hannover Messe 2017, the world's leading industrial show with over 6,500 international exhibitors. Featuring seven international leading trade fairs at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany (see Travel: page 35), Hannover Messe covers a wider range of themes and exhibits than any other event – R&D, indus- trial automation and IT, industrial supply, production engineering and services, as well as energy and environmental technology. Develop new sales leads in other sectors and gain access to new products and technolo- gies from all over the world. Information: HannoverMesse.de/home @ safety specialist helps employers address one of their biggest challenges – keeping safety programs current and relevant. "The dynamic nature of the safety indus- try requires safety professionals to stay cur- rent with regulatory changes, new products and hazards within their facility," says Bar- beau. "It's critical that safety programs are constantly reviewed and amended to reflect the changing safety landscape. Therein lies the value of the safety specialist: to partner with these safety professionals and provide the resources for them to evolve their safety programs." The MI safety specialist's role is to work with branch employees, sales representatives and customers to provide training, expertise and direction in the safety product category. They also liaise between the safety industry manufacturers and MI's teams to develop programs to launch new products, educate users and promote proper usage. The specialists help to highlight specific workplace hazards and advise on how to prevent accidents, says Barbeau. "For example, falls can happen in any work environment. In fact, there were nearly 5,000 fall-related deaths in the U.S. in 2015, and falls, slips and trips cost almost $16.4 billion in workers' compensation," he adds. One of the best ways to avoid falls is to keep the work area clean, maintain walking surfaces, ensure that employees have the proper footwear, maintain good lighting, control risks that can occur through spills or weather conditions, and establish safe work practices. "These may all seem like common sense actions to ensure a safe workplace, but it's surprising how often I see even simple tasks delayed for one reason or another, which can then lead to accidents," says Barbeau. For example, he points out that not keep- ing a work area clean can negate other acci- dent-prevention measures. Workers can be injured if they trip over materials, equip- ment, tools or trash that's not cleared away. Having policies or procedures that prioritize keeping the workplace clean is an important step toward a safe working area. Keeping floors and flooring in good condi- tion and having non-slip surfaces is not only good for safety, but can also reduce foot fatigue. Ensuring that workers have the appropriate footwear for their tasks is equal- ly important for preventing injuries and falls. "It all comes down to having the right poli- cies and procedures and work practices in place," says Barbeau. "Many accidents are a result of bad behaviours, such as taking a shortcut, using a cellphone while walking, wearing sunglasses in a low-light area, allowing ourselves to become distracted, carrying items that obstruct our view, or sim- ply hurrying." For example, when establishing safe work practices to eliminate fall hazards, employers should study the characteristics of the physical work area and the tasks that employ- ees perform. They should develop a record of any significant findings and solutions for preventing fall hazards, and then review the policies and procedures regularly because workplaces tend to change over time. While workplace safety and avoiding fall hazards are a company's responsibilities, at the end of the day, every employee has the responsibility for planning, staying alert, understanding the hazards and following policies, procedures and best practices, says Barbeau. MI C O N V E N T I O N C A L E N D A R

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