VBSF symposium 2025: Fire protection meets occupational safety

Occupational safety and fire protection are often concerned with similar issues - but they often have conflicting objectives. It therefore makes sense for fire safety experts and occupational safety managers to regularly exchange information and develop solutions together.

They do this in the VBSF, the Swiss Association of Fire Protection and Safety Professionals, among others. Its members include many fire protection specialists as well as many occupational safety experts.

Fire protection meets occupational safety

It will be exactly the same on March 20, 2025 at the KKL Lucerne. The VBSF Conference 2025 will take place there, which is aimed at all those interested in fire protection and occupational safety, regardless of whether they are VBSF members or not.

Participants can look forward to a total of ten lectures, each between 30 and 60 minutes long, as well as two workshops of 90 and 120 minutes each. All presentations and one workshop will be bilingual and translated from German into French. There are also continuing education credits for participation: Swiss Safety Center AG counts the event as one day of continuing education for specialists in fire protection ISO 17024. The VKF recognizes the VBSF symposium as 1 day of further training. Continuing education points for the occupational safety track have been applied for from the SGAS.

Track occupational safety

The VBSF Conference 2025 is divided into two parallel themed tracks. Participants can choose which parallel presentations they would like to attend.

The occupational safety track starts with a workshop on digital tools for occupational safety and health protection. Requirements for occupational health and safety measures are constantly increasing, particularly with regard to documentation. Digital tools are ideal for maintaining an overview and legal certainty. Marco Lobsiger, Managing Director of Lobsiger & Partner GmbH, will run through various scenarios with the participants to show how such tools can support safety officers.

The following lectures deal with topics such as:

• First aid concepts in the companyDoes every company need a first aid concept and what needs to be thought through and included? What are the differences between such concepts for smaller and larger companies? (Bruno Ducceschi, Vice President of the Swiss Association for Company First Aid)
• Laboratory guideline and hazardous substances - practical application examplesThe lecture presents current examples of the practical application of the EKAS laboratory guideline. Common questions that a project is confronted with are outlined, corresponding articles of the directive are explained and answers found in projects are presented. (Thomas Plattner, Safety Engineer EigV, Project Manager and Partner RISAM AG)
• CMR substances - carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction: CMR substances are often underestimated, as affected employees can often be exposed for a long time without causing illness. Why are CMR substances dangerous, how do you recognize them and where can you find information to protect employees? (Andrea Zemp, Consultant AS & GS and IRM, Swiss Safety Center AG)
• Minor quantities of solvents: Solvents can be found in many a company - where do they exceed the limit of de minimis quantities and how do companies have to deal with them if they are below this limit? (Felix Gell, consultant and owner of Gsell Sicherheit GmbH)
• First responder systems in Switzerland: More and more cantons in Switzerland have first responder systems. The aim is to be able to provide first aid more quickly and therefore more successfully in a medical emergency. What different approaches are there and how can you get involved? (Roman Burkart, Managing Director of the Interverband für Rettungswesen IVR and President of the Swiss Resuscitation Council SRC)

Track fire protection

The fire protection track also addresses current and sometimes complex topics and issues - and this track also includes a workshop: for around 120 minutes, the participants plan various practical tasks, including SHEVS with special issues or façades with additional benefits for PV systems or greenery. In the workshops on fire protection planning conducted by Christian Kohler and Alois Schälin (AFC Academy / AFC Air Flow Consulting AG), participants will work on sample projects under guidance and with discussion and presentation of the plans.

The other presentations in the fire protection track cover the following topics:

• How do fire alarm systems and technical evacuation systems work together? The presentation describes the basis for the interaction, shows existing solutions and possibilities for the future and discusses the advantages of technical evacuation solutions. (Kurt Girschweiler, Head of Product Line Fire, Siemens Schweiz AG)
• Fire protection for electric vehicles in buildings: The cause of the risk discussion, technical comparisons of the vehicles and their risks, the influence of the load, the installation location, fire prevention and firefighting and the purpose of simulations - this presentation addresses all these topics. (Mario Venturini, fire protection expert and Managing Director of Sintegral.ch GmbH)
• Fires involving electric vehicles in (underground) parking garages: What does the fire department do when an electric vehicle catches fire in a (underground) garage, and how does this differ from a fire involving a conventionally powered vehicle? And: how can a company do the best possible preparatory work for the fire department? (Jan Bauke, Head of Training FWZS, Deputy Commander FW, Protection & Rescue Zurich)
• Fire risk from home storage systems - challenges and prevention strategiesThe number of photovoltaic systems and associated home storage systems is increasing rapidly. This development also increases the potential fire risk, which is also relevant for businesses. This presentation will highlight the risks and discuss possible prevention measures. (Marion Meinert, Professor for Safety & Security, Furtwangen University)

Occupational safety and fire protection at KKL Lucerne

The two tracks come together again at the end - namely when Jürg Schär (Head of Buildings & Safety at KKL Luzern) talks about occupational safety and fire protection at the venue of the VBSF Conference 2025. The KKL Luzern hosts concerts, congresses, a museum, restaurants and exhibitions, which means that different people are here at different times. So how are occupational safety and fire protection organized at KKL Luzern and what is important?

Accompanying exhibition and VBSF General Assembly 2025

There will also be an accompanying exhibition during the VBSF Conference 2025, where up to 16 exhibitors will present their products and services during the breaks. After the VBSF Conference 2025, the 47th VBSF General Assembly will take place from 4.50 pm, followed by an aperitif, to which of course only VBSF members are admitted.

The VBSF Conference 2025 is organized by bentomedia GmbH and the online platform safety-security.ch and supported by various sponsors: Siemens Schweiz AG is a gold sponsor, while the AFC Academy, CSF Wunderle GmbH and Lobisger & Partner GmbH with the web application safely are silver sponsors.

Source: www.vbsf.ch