Various conferences and technical seminars supplemented the Valencian fair

Laboralia 2007 was held along with the horizontal fairs Ecofira (international fair of water, soil, air, waste and their technologies and services), Qualimetrics (fair quality, calibration, metrology and Instrumentation) and Idinova (fair of the research, development and innovation), and was visited by 17,000 people over its three daysheld at the Feria Valencia on May 30 to June 1. These results represent an increase of 13 per cent in the number of visitors respect the previous edition.

The fourth edition of Laboralia, prevention, protection, safety and health fair, has consolidated this fair as the main national pageant specializing in the field of the prevention of occupational risks. In addition, Laboralia has become also a discussion forum, where more than 3,000 delegates attended vocational and specialized meetings in a total of 27 events. With the direct participation of 190 companies, those attending the fair had access to information on the machinery, systems of protection and care to the health, training and information and communication technologies.

The fourth edition of Laboralia counted more than 600 companies represented, i.e., 20 per cent more regard the previous edition. They were signatures of the Valencian Community and from other sources, both Spanish, such as Murcia, Andalusia, Madrid and Barcelona, as in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Portugal and Norway.

This event recorded in his three days of duration 17,000 visits, i.e. 13 per cent more regarding the previous edition. Between professionals that visited the facilities of Feria Valencia, they were representatives of the central, regional and local administration, heads of purchasing, human resources, heads of security managers, technological institutes, business associations, etc.

Laboralia also increased its area of occupation, because they have enabled 39,000 square meters for the holding of the contest. This figure represents 8 percent more from 2005.

Laboralia organizers offered a wide range of parallel activities with objective complement to the maximum stay of the visitors at the fair. The activities were of varied themes and counted with the presence of national and international experts such as technicians and managers of the Secretariat for safety and health at work (OSHA); representatives of the institutes of health and safety in the work of France, Portugal, Italy and Spain; and companies from various countries, such as the United Kingdom, Portugal and Russia, reported and exchanged knowledge and experiences with the audience. Regulations were also explained, new projects were presented and were novelties for the prevention of occupational hazards.

Laboralia attendees enjoyed, in addition, numerous developments in the sector, as for example, the weightless manipulator to prevent that the workers get weight, virtual Simulator occupational risk prevention on accidents of traffic or the asbestos decontamination drill. Visits could also attend exhibitions, as the Assembly and disassembly of scaffolds, and demonstrations of products and services of all kinds to promote prevention, protection, safety and occupational health.

Among the most important activities, he emphasized the II European Congress on safety and health at work (V contest of the Valencian Community), under the motto "quality and innovation in prevention of occupational hazards", brought together more than 1,200 professionals in the sector. Dealt with various themes such as the globalization of the market and the relocation of production, prevention management systems, the promotion of competitiveness, the topicality of the preventive action, the emerging risks of psychosocial nature and use of information and communication technologies. In addition to individual experts in occupational risks coming from Italy, France and Portugal also collaborated institutional representatives and heads of companies such as Endesa and Acciona prevention. All of them contributed to the need to investigate and explore new alternatives to combat workplace accidents.

Another unmissable Laboralia were the days of implementation of plans and emergency in enterprises, a public forum that was addressed for the first time the "Royal Decree 393/2007 standard basic", a measure that, from now onIt will be compulsory protection. This Act, promoted by the area of Civil protection of the city of Valencia, were presented the new skills and guidelines for implementation of such legislation, which is intended to provide guidance to employers on how to develop an emergency plan and organize the training of staff in an effective manner.

Also held a round table where those responsible for security of large organizations such as America's Cup, Bancaja, Heron City or the port of Valencia showed their views on the implementation of emergency plans in their companies.

Laboralia 2007 also hosted the forty-second Congress national of the Spanish Association of management and development of people (AEDIPE), a match where there were CITES major related to human resources professionals to analyze and discuss the current situation of the Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) in enterprisesthe impact of absenteeism, innovative social actions, training and motivation of the staff or the importance of humor in the companies, among other things. One of the conclusions of the Congress was that Corporate Social responsibility should be understood as the contribution to sustainable development, the consideration of the interests of all groups that relate to the company and compliance with the rules of good corporate governance more than the required by law.

In another parallel activity, the days techniques of equipment of high protection, were explained the characteristics that should be directed to the industrial sector Individual protection equipment against thermal and chemical risk. Representatives of the firms in the sector contributed to the importance that workers have a wardrobe of high protection to avoid possible accidents caused by chemical agents, biological, nuclear or electrostatic hazards.

Also held conferences of Heads of procurement, organized by the Spanish Association of professionals of purchases, recruitment and procurement, a technical session in which was shown the importance of the management of shopping, since it accounts for more than half the income in Spanish companies. The speakers presented the latest legislative developments in the field of subcontracting of works and services and have debated the law on subcontracting in the construction sector.

On the other hand, took place the Conference on fire protection, active and passive, in which representatives of the professional fire brigade technicians Association (APTB) reported on the advantages deriving from the application of new technologies in their work. In this regard, it was explained that technical advances provide to fire a greater capacity of response, which implies a lower risk for them and for the victims.