RESULTS OF KIOSH 2019: WHAT COMPANIES OFFER, WHAT KIND OF DECISIONS THE STATE MAKES, AND EXPERIENCE OF MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

On May 22-24, 2019 the capital city of Kazakhstan hosted the 9th Kazakhstan International Occupational Health and Safety Conference and Exhibition - KIOSH 2019, with 44 exhibitors and 518 delegates from Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, and Russia.

This year, the delegates' interest in the KIOSH conference has noticeably increased, the number of delegates increased by 28% compared to the last year. Fifty-three speakers took part in the conference, and they discussed such industry development issues as an introduction of digital technology on occupational health and safety in industries (hereinafter OHS), new systems of personal and collective protection (hereinafter PPE/CPE), occupational safety management systems, as well as state and internal control.

The plenary session of the KIOSH Conference was opened by Berdybek Saparbayev, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He said about the current challenges in the industry and about the measures the state takes to solve them: "The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of RK has developed a Draft Law on Labor, as well as Road map to reduce industrial injuries and jobs with harmful working conditions in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2019-2023. For the next five years, the Ministry sets a task to review regulations regarding occupational health and safety. For instance, it is planned to establish new approaches in the provision of reduced working hours and additional paid annual leave for those who work in hard work, under harmful and dangerous working conditions. We must continue studying the best international practices regarding personnel development in the field of occupational health and safety."

Summarizing the speeches of the participants, the Minister also noted the constructive dialogue that has taken place at the KIOSH 2019 Conference platform. He supported some proposals of speakers, for instance, head of the Ministry of labor supported the preventive actions regarding occupational safety. He told about the ERG company's experience in Aktobe city, where they implemented the "people control" project, when former employees of the company, for example, retired workers, can oversee the occupational safety on the enterprise.

During two days, major industry players told how they use the information and digital technology in the field of occupational health and industrial safety, about innovations in the industry, discussed current problems and ways for their solution. Speakers were top-managers of the following companies: Allies Industrial LLP, Global Spetsodezhda Production Company, 3М Russia JSC, FIG ENERGOCONTRACT JSC, the "Whole World" Plant of Nonwoven Fabrics ООО, Technoavia Kazakhstan LLP, KVAZAR OOO, and so on.

The top-managers of major companies such as Vist Group JSC, Ernst & Young Russia LLP, EVERYCO Central Asia, and Aktiv-Bezopasnost LLP told, during the KIOSH Conference, about what occupational safety management programs are introduced and which of them are most efficient, as well as discussed new developments.

Special attention was paid by the experts of the mining and metallurgical complex together with the Committee of Industrial Development and Safety of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises of RK (AMME) to the subject of industrial safety on MMC enterprises, they discussed the companies’ practice on provision of safety working conditions, organization of PPE/CPE, as well as local requirements to industrial safety with international standards.

Delegates and speakers have also discussed the issues of state and internal control over legal compliance in the field of occupational health and safety.

KIOSH is the only and key dialogue platform in Kazakhstan, representing interests of state bodies, industrial associations, institutes, unions, and business in the achievement of the main goal: to provide safety and preserve the health of workers on their working places.

Forty-four exhibitors took part in the exhibition, 1400 specialists from 12 countries visited it. The KIOSH 2019 Exhibition presented manufacturers and suppliers of PPE/CPE, textile, equipment, products for rehabilitation and prevention, major industrial enterprises, training companies and centers for experience and knowledge share, discussion of acute issues and demonstration of the recent achievements in the field of occupational health and safety.

The following companies from China participated in the exhibition for the first time: SHANDONG GUARDIAN SAFETY PRODUCT CO., XINXIANG XINKE PROTECTIVE TECHNOLOGY CO., GAOMI TONGYU SHOES CO. The Russian companies' exposition was expanded by such companies as KVAZAR OOO, Health protection technology OOO, ANO DPO TsPO ALANDAR, Zelinskiy group OOO. The CHIMVOLOKNO, Med365 LLP, AZURIT LLP from Kazakhstan took part for the first time.

Also, for the first time, on the KIOSH exhibition platform, there were training and masterclasses dedicated to culture of occupational safety and best international practices in the field of occupational health and safety from the leading local training and education companies and centers. On the third day of the exhibitions, the event organizers created a G2B platform to hold negotiations between state agencies and commercial companies. Thus, the Committee of Labor, Social Protection and Migration of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of RK held several meetings with Kazakhstan and Russian companies to discuss joint projects.

Annually KIOSH is held with the state support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of RK. The organizers of the event are Iteca Kazakhstan Exhibition company and its international partner ITE Group of companies (Great Britain).

The Golden partners were: Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), Allies Industrial LLP, and Global-Spetsodezhda Production Company. The Silver Partner was Kazzinc Company. The Bronze partners were Astana Yutariya ltd and KAZ Minerals companies.

In 2020, on May 20-22, there will be the Anniversary Kazakhstan International Conference and exhibition KIOSH!

More details on www.kiosh.kz