General Information - International Congress on Occupational Health

BUSHFIRE UPDATE

The recent bushfires in our regional areas caused devastation to lives, homes, landscapes and wildlife. The National Organising Committee is empathetic to the impact this has had on our communities and is supportive of the rebuilding process that is underway. If you would like further information on how to assist, we encourage you to visit here

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

The National Organising Committee is conscious of the global situation with the Novel Coronavirus and continues to monitor the situation. Australia has an excellent preventative health system, and travel and health requirements listed by the Australian Department of Health are shown here.

SUSTAINABILITY

The Organisers of ICOH 2021 are very conscious of the impact international events like the Congress can have on our environment so we encourage you to support the initiatives below to assist in minimising the environmental footprint of the Congress.

Carbon Offset
Air travel is fast and a convenient way to travel across the world but regrettably has a negative impact on our natural environments. We encourage you to consider contributing to your airline’s carbon offset program to support projects that affect real change in our environment as a result. Qantas, the official carrier for ICOH 2021 offers a carbon offset program under their Future Planet program where you can choose to support local action, developing communities or global renewables. For more information please click here.

Paper Reduction
As much as possible, in the planning and delivery of ICOH 2021, we are committed to reducing the amount of printing required. We also encourage you to use electronic resources, such as downloads from the website and app, where possible.

Plastic Reduction
We encourage you to bring water bottle onsite which can be refilled at the numerous water stations within the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre. You may also wish to bring your own coffee keepcup.

Recycling
Lanyards, name badges and satchels will be recycled so we encourage you to return these to the Registration Desk upon completion of the Congress.

Venue
We are delighted that our host venue, the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre has been awarded a 6-star Green Rating by the Green Building Council of Australia for the venue’s innovative environmental design and operational features. Built from the ground up with the environment in mind, it was the first convention centre in the world to be awarded this and also have achieved Gold Accreditation with the world’s sustainability benchmarking organisation, EarthCheck.

The Centre is committed to implementing innovative ideas to reduce its environmental footprint and collaborates with its customers and industry partners to ensure the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre is a truly sustainable event destination. Some examples include:

Focus on Food: The Centre is committed to sourcing produce from local, passionate and ethical suppliers within 100 mile radius of the venue
Single Use plastics: Plastic straws are banned at the Centre and they as a result of banning single use plastics the Centre is diverting over 30,000 straws and500,000 plastic bottles from landfill.
Café Focus: The Centre’s cafes offer keep cups and biodegradable coffee cups and lids. In addition it is the first convention centre in the world to recycle Nespresso pods (65,000 a year)
Waste Reduction: An onsite organic dehydrator has reduced the volume of organic waste by 75-80%. In 2018 the Centre diverted 67% of all waste from landfill using 15 waste streams
Lights: Replacing 660 halogen lights with LED in the Centre’s exhibition bays has reduced carbon emissions and resulted in an average cost saving of 52% for customers
Supporting the Community: The supports a local organisation called OzHarvest and in 2019 they re-distributed 74,000 meals through the OzHarvest rescue donation program

To find out more about the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre’s commitment to sustainability please visit here.

CLIMATE

March is the start of autumn in Melbourne and continues to bring excellent weather conditions. A full range of weather may be experienced within a few days, from warm, calm and sunny to cooler days. It is advisable to dress for “four seasons in one day”! Temperatures generally range between 14-24 degrees Celsius or 57-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

For more information see www.bom.gov.au

INSURANCE

Delegates are strongly advised to secure appropriate travel and health insurance. Delegate registration fees do not provide any such insurance coverage. The Organising Committee and the Congress Office accept no responsibility for any loss in this regard.

PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Every effort is made to ensure people with special needs are catered for. Should you require any specific assistance, please include a notation with your registration form to enable us to make your stay in Melbourne a pleasant and comfortable experience.

DISCLAIMER

The International Congress on Occupational Health 2021 including the Congress Organisers will not accept liability for the damages of any nature sustained by participants or their accompanying persons for loss or damage to their personal property as a result of the International Congress on Occupational Health 2021 and exhibition or related events.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Information collected by completing the online forms on the Congress website will be used to administer the Congress including accommodation, catering, transport and sponsorship. Data obtained will remain the property of WALDRONSMITH Management and the International Congress on Occupational Health 2021. For more information on privacy policy, please visit www.waldronsmith.com.au.