SAFEX Congresses

Background

SAFEX International has organised triennial Congresses since its first Congress in 1960. These Congresses are held at a venue which is readily accessible to most members. Congress is the forum where SAFEX members and associates get together to exchange experiences that will make our industry across the world healthier, safer and friendlier to the environment.

Sharing information on member incidents is a specific focus of the Congress. SAFEX also uses the opportunity to offer specialised training and the Workgroups use it for their technical sessions. In keeping with the SAFEX way, the emphasis at Congress is to learn from each other in order to improve the health, safety and environmental (HS&E) practices in the workplace.

Besides the normal delegates programme, there is also a Social Programme that involves delegates’ partners.

How are SAFEX Congresses Strutured?

The Plenary Sessions of a Congress normally occupies two days which allows us to use the remaining days of the Congress week for other activities. In this way we can maximise the benefit for members whose delegates travel long distances to attend. Therefore, a typical Congress week comprises Preliminary activities, Plenary Sessions and a Social Programme.

Congress activities

We exchange experiences at Congress through the activities we arrange, some of which take place before the Congress starts. Congress activities typically comprise:

• Training Session. This is typically a 2-day session which is specially tailored to the needs of our industry and takes place before the Plenary Sessions.
• Workgroups. Workgroup members offer the best expertise available from our member companies and meet on the day before the Plenary Sessions start.
• Registration for the Plenary Sessions takes place on the Wednesday afternoon of the Congress and is followed by the official Welcome Reception in the evening.
• Open Day. The first day of Plenary Sessions is an Open Day to which we invite visitors with whom we collaborate. Many of the visitors deliver Papers and as they are specialists in their own right their contribution adds value to the proceedings.
• Chairman’s Lunch. Top executives of member companies are invited by the Chairman to network and discuss HS&E issues of common concern at a working lunch on the first day.
• Closed Day. The second day of the Plenary Sessions is reserved for SAFEX members and associates to review incidents and extract valuable lessons from them.
• General Assembly. The Ordinary General Meeting of members as required by our Articles of Association takes place at the end of the Closed Day.

Social programme

The Social Programme at Congress is designed to promote networking among delegates (and partners) and includes:

• Spouses' Programme. In this way SAFEX members recognize the role partners play in supporting our industry. During the two days of Plenary Sessions there are excursions and visits for spouses and partners of delegates to the Congress.
• Gala Dinner. This is the climax of the Congress and its official closure. It is held in a venue that reflects the prestige of the occasion.
• Delegates Excursion. A full day excursion is organized on the Saturday after the Plenary Sessions for delegates and partners who have stayed on. It typically consists of a bus tour to a tourist attraction in the vicinity of the Congress venue.

Congress fee

SAFEX Congresses are funded from members’ annual subscriptions. There is, therefore, no Congress fee. However, delegates are expected to pay their own travel and accommodation costs when they attend Congresses.

Who may participate in Congresses

Our rules allow every member company to send 2 delegates of their choice to Congress. Group members are allowed 10 delegates from the Group. Participants in the Training Session, presenters of Papers and standing members of Workgroups are not included in this quota. We encourage chief executives and the SAFEX Contacts of member companies to attend. Other company delegates at previous Congresses have come from functions such as production, maintenance, design and HS&E. However, it is up to every company to decide who its delegates should be.

Next Congress

The next SAFEX congress is the XX Congress and will take place in Salzburg, Austria from 5-10 September 2021 (Covid-19 permitted).

• Congress Outline
• Call for Papers
• Hotel Reservation
• Congress Registration
• Congress Programme

Previous SAFEX International Congresses

For information about SAFEX Congresses prior to 2000, please contact the SAFEX Secretariat. Subsequent Congresses can be accessed by clicking the relevant Congress number below for SAFEX connected members only. Log in to your account first before clicking on one of these links otherwise you'll be redirected on home page.

• 20th Congress: April 23 - 29, 2023 Salzburg Congress Centre, SALZBURG, Austria
• 19th Congress: May 15 - 20, 2017 Grand Marina Hotel, HELSINKI, Finland
• 18th Congress: May 19 - 24, 2014 Hotel Warsaw Marriott, WARSAW, Poland
• 17th Congress: May 23 - 28, 2011 Hotel Elite World, ISTANBUL Turkey
• 16th Congress: May 26 - 30, 2008 Hotel Novotel, MADRID Spain
• 15th Congress : May 25 - 28, 2005 Moevenpick Hotel GENEVA Switzerland
• 14th Congress : May 29 - June 1, 2002 Novotel AMSTERDAM Netherlands
• 13th Congress : May 26 - 29 1999, Berkeley Court Hotel DUBLIN Ireland
• 12th Congress : May 29 - June 1, 1996 Hilton Hotel BERLIN Germany
• 11th Congress : May 5 - 8, 1993 Acropolis conference Centre NICE France
• 10th Congress : June 16 - 19, 1990 Hotel Marriott VIENNA Austria
• 9th Congress : June 3-6 1987 Hotel Safir CASABLANCA Marocco
• 8th Congress : May 23-26 1984 Grand Hotel STOCKHOLM Sweden
• 7th Congress : May 13-16 1981 Hotel Intercontinental ATHENS Greece
• 6th Congress : May 17-20 1978 Hotel Macarena SEVILLA Spain
• 5th Congress : May 21-23 1975 Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten MUNICH Germany
• 4th Congress : May 10-13 1972 North British Hotel EDINBURGH Scotland
• 3rd Congress : May 29-30 1969 Nobel Bozel PARIS France
• 2nd Congress : Oct.21-24 1964 Colleferro(BPD) ROMA Italy
• 1st Congress : Sept.28-Oct.1 1960 Eidgen.Techn. Hochschule ZURICH Switzerland