

5
Ausg.Nr._18/2017
A+A 2017
We offer preservative-free skin care pro-
ducts that are both gentle to your skin
and highly effective throughout the day.
Come to see us in stand 6B75!
Care, innovation and
environmental awareness since 1977
Sterisol has been a pioneer in environ-
mentally friendly, preservative-free
skincare solutions for people at work
since 1977. Based in Sweden, we always
strive to use natural rawmaterials and
minimise unnecessary additives.
Hard work
- soft skin
Statement Joachim Schäfer
A+A 2017: It's the
individual that counts
O
ur working environment
has changed in many
different ways. The
needs of the workforce have in-
creased in complexity, requiring
great flexibility and mobility. In
particular, the focus is currently
on the digitisation of the work-
ing environment and the impact
of those processes on working
conditions. A representative
study was recently conducted
by the German Confederation
of Trade Unions (DGB). Called
“DGB Index Gute Arbeit” (DGB
Good Work Index), it showed
that 82 per cent of employees
felt that their work was impact-
ed by digitisation processes,
and 60 per cent even described
this impact as high or very high.
The respondents predominantly
reported a greater strain, grow-
ing workloads and an increasing
need for multitasking. A majority
also said they were experiencing
more monitoring and checking.
But while nearly all workplaces
are now digitised and custom-
ised, demographic change has
also created new challenges
and opportunities. Measures to
maintain a person’s working ca-
pacity are therefore just as im-
portant as industrial safety and
corporate security. They improve
people’s lives by protecting them
from health and safety hazards.
At the same time, they increase a
company’s productivity and thus
also its competitiveness.
From 17 to 20 October everything
in Düsseldorf will revolve around
a safe, secure and healthy work-
place. Trade visitors from all over
the world will be meeting at the
Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre for
A+A, comprising both an interna-
tional trade fair and a convention.
A+A 2017 can already warrant at
this stage that it will offer the full
range of the latest global trends
and products in industrial safety,
health promotion in the work-
place and safety management
at work. Around 1,900 exhibitors
will be at this leading trade fair,
and registrations have been re-
ceived from all continents. A+A is
the most important event for all
professionals in industrial safety
and security management, HR
managers, works councils, buy-
ers in industry, specialist retail-
ers, company doctors, firefight-
ers, the German Federal Agency
for Technical Relief (THW), the
police, staff at employers’ liabil-
ity insurance associations, ac-
cident insurance companies and
owners of small businesses. It is
held at two-year intervals.
As well as being the world’s
biggest leading trade fair in its
segment, A+A has always – ever
since it started in 1954 – helped
to raise worldwide awareness of
industrial safety and health pro-
motion in the workplace. New
developments have always fea-
tured in the range of topics at
the trade fair and convention as
soon as they arise. A lot has hap-
pened since the very first A+A,
then called Trade Fair for Indus-
trial Safety and Occupational
Healthcare: 25 years ago the Eu-
ropean Union introduced its first
framework directive on industrial
safety. Since then the EU has con-
tinually played a pioneering role
with its high standards in pro-
tecting employees from health
and safety hazards. Since 2008
the number of fatal occupational
accidents has dropped by nearly
one quarter. At the same time,
there has been a 10-per-cent re-
duction in the number of employ-
ees in the EU with at least one
work-related health problem or
with a problem that has been ag-
gravated by their work situation.
Nevertheless, there are still ma-
jor challenges. It has been esti-
mated that around 160,000 peo-
ple die of work-related diseases
in Europe every year. It is one of
the highest priorities to maintain
and update high standards in Eu-
rope. The European Commission
has recently committed itself to
implementing further key meas-
ures. Their purpose is to adapt
EU law and employment protec-
tion legislation to suit changing
employment patterns and devel-
opments within society.
Most companies – and indeed
throughout Europe – have long
been taking positive action on
the understanding that preven-
tative healthcare and health-
promoting working conditions
do not just cost money, but also
save considerable amounts of
cash which might be spent on
accidents and illness-related ab-
sences.
A+A 2017 will feature the entire
bandwidth of products and ser-
vices in personal protection and
in the realisation of safe and
healthy working routines. Manu-
facturers will give convincing
demonstrations of their innova-
tive strength, including, among
other things, corporate fashion,
ergonomic office furniture, pro-
tective equipment, fire protection
and emergency management
and corporate environmental
protection.
Text:
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Postfach 10 10 06
40001 Düsseldorf
www.aplusa.de