Textination Newsline

• World's leading trade fair for safe and healthy working offers central platform for personal exchange within the industry

The responsible handling of the issues of safety and health at work has once again moved into the focus of society and politics due to the pandemic. At A+A 2021, which begins on 26, October 2021, these topics have been the focus since its premiere. Under the motto "People matter", A+A 2021 will present everything to do with personal protection, occupational safety and health at work from 26 to 29 October. More than 1,200 exhibitors from 56 nations will present themselves to trade visitors in 10 halls at the Düsseldorf exhibition centre.

"The anticipation for the fair was great. This year we were particularly looking forward to the personal exchange with the industry. The positive exhibitor feedback confirms that the players in occupational health and safety want a live platform. And with the A+A we deliver what only a trade fair can offer. Tactile product presentations and innovations as well as planned and accidental encounters with the entire industry," says Birgit Horn, Project Director A+A.

Exciting topics and best practices at the A+A Congress
Parallel to the A+A trade fair, the 37th International Congress for Occupational Safety and Health deals with numerous current topics and challenges of the scene. It is organised by the Federal Working Group for Safety and Health at Work (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft für Sicherheit und Gesundheit bei der Arbeit, Basi). In more than 25 series of events, well-founded specialist knowledge and current political topics are conveyed and intensively discussed for all stakeholders in matters of safety and health at work, on site and in some cases also digitally. "Even the opening event will be interesting. Social partners and other stakeholders will discuss the impact of the pandemic on occupational safety and health and the return to the 'new normal' that is now beginning," says Basi Managing Director Dr Christian Felten.

At the A+A Congress, renowned experts from the field of occupational safety and health will provide answers to central questions such as: How does the digitalisation of work affect the health and safety of employees? How do I, as an occupational safety specialist, advise companies and employees on this? How should decentralised workplaces be managed in a safe and healthy way? How do you determine a healthy balance between mobile and stationary work? What is the need for occupational prevention in the case of musculoskeletal stress and what is the current need for prevention in the case of activities involving carcinogenic hazardous substances and bio-substances? There are many interesting events on this and many other topics, further information can be found at www.basi.de/kongress. .

Trend topics at the A+A 2021
Digital performance and sustainability determine the current discussion and will continue to strongly influence the future of work. In addition to these two megatrends at A+A 2021, the focus of the framework programme is on solutions for the future (Future Solutions), new working worlds (New Work) and the topic of hygiene and pandemics.

A+A Live: Experience safe and healthy work with all senses
Best practices using state-of-the-art products and processes will be communicated under the label "A+A live" in the Trend Forum, the Theme Park Operational Fire Protection and Emergency Management, the Robotics Park and the Start UP Zone.

In Hall 10, trade visitors will find the Safety and Health Meeting Point, the competence centre for all occupational health and safety issues. This is where Basi's member and partner organisations present themselves..

The Robotics Park is also located in Hall 10, it is divided into the Self Experience Space and the Exoworkathlon. The partner of the Robotics Park is the Fraunhofer IPA from Stuttgart.
In the Self Experience Space, the following manufacturers of exoskeleton solutions will be presenting their products, which visitors can try out for themselves:  Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA, Japet Medical Devices SAS, Iturri, German Bionic Systems GmbH, Ergoschutz GmbH, suitX Inc, hTRIUS GmbH, Levitate Technologies Inc. and Laevo B.V.

The Exoworkathlon is a live study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) and the Institute for Industrial Manufacturing and Management at the University of Stuttgart (IFF) in which young test subjects (trainees and technical students) run through a course once with and once without an exoskeleton. The data collected during the Exoworkathlon is used to scientifically evaluate the extent to which these exoskeletons reduce muscular and skeletal strain and increase performance.

In Hall 4, expert lectures on the topics of digitalisation + safety, digitalisation + health, sustainability, protection and hygiene as well as safe handling of hazardous substances will provide an insight into current developments in the Trend Forum.

The Corporate Fashion Lounge is located in Hall 5. Here, trade visitors can find out about the latest trends in fashionable workwear and experience how versatile modern workwear is today. At the same time, the lounge provides an outlook on the future role that corporate fashion will play at the trade fair from A+A 2023 onwards.

In Hall 6, trade visitors will find the action area on industrial fire protection and emergency management, organised by the Bundesverband Betrieblicher Brandschutz / Werkfeuerwehrverband Deutschland (WFVD). Several live demonstrations will simulate the use of chemical protective suits (CSA) in the event of the escape of toxic substances in the event of an accident and demonstrate the correct prevention.