05.09.2018

AFI Conference on the up

UK rental company AFI held its second annual safety and innovation conference yesterday for customers.

This year’s conference, dubbed ‘A Platform for the Future’ built on the success of its inaugural conference last year which took a different tack to most other safety conferences, with a strong focus on health as well as safety.
Please register to see all images

A selection of machines were displayed outside, including the Palfinger truck mount, 150ft JLG boom and Teupen Leo spider lift

Speakers included Brad Boehler of Skyjack, who spoke very openly about the types of accidents that occur with the company’s machines, and how that has changed over the years. Andrew Delahunt of IPAF on planning to prevent accidents and the move in the UK towards the first zero aerial lift fatalities year in 2018.
Please register to see all images

Andrew Delahunt of IPAF

An interesting change of pace came with James la Salle of CIL talking on business and economic outlooks, which gathered a good deal of interest and questions.
Please register to see all images

Lunch

Please register to see all images

One of AFI's new delivery trucks

The entire afternoon was dedicated to mental health in the work place with a series of tremendous presentations from Martin Coyd, Dylon Skelholm who explained a 10 metre fall from a roof and ladder changed his life and led to mental health challenges. Rob Stephenson explained how he had manged to cope with depression and how to become resilient followed by Mark Davies who explained the biology of it all and how Rest and Recover was as important as the Flight or Fight response.
Please register to see all images

Dylon Skelholm

Please register to see all images

David White of Galliford Try

The afternoon was rounded off with a highly entertaining and enlightening presentation by David White from UK contractor Galliford Try, on how to create a bespoke mental health framework for your company, followed by Tony Blair’s spokesman, campaign director and Downing Street press secretary, Alastair Campbell who was due to speak on Brexit, but having witnessed the afternoon’s presentations switched to talking about mental health and the challenges he has faced following a mental breakdown 1986 and dealing with depression and alcohol abuse. He finally spoke about Brexit and the rationale of a second referendum at the dinner held last night.
Please register to see all images

Alastair Campbell