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Events

  • 07 December 2023
    London

    SOM event with the Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Postvention after suicide and unexpected, sudden deaths: current and future practice

    At the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Thursday 7th December 10.30am-4pm

    Only for those with specific knowledge and expertise in this area

    The term ‘suicide postvention’ refers to the actions taken within an organisation to provide support in an effective and sensitive way after a death by suicide. Although suicide prevention is a key priority, support for colleagues of people who have died by suicide or a sudden death is also crucial. Suicide can have a major impact on the wellbeing and functioning of workers within all organisations, so a compassionate, supportive, and timely approach is needed to aid recovery. Research shows that if people affected by suicide receive support at an early stage following the event, it can help them come to terms with their loss and reduce the risk of adverse psychosocial outcomes. 

    This workshop, for researchers and practitioners working in suicide postvention, aims to review and synthesise current understandings of suicide postvention to provide organisational postvention guidance which will be applicable in all organisational settings. The workshop will focus on:

    - What is known about best practice in suicide postvention?

    - What research has been conducted? What were the key findings?

    - What frameworks/guidance documents have been developed, how were they formulated and how have they been received by stakeholders?

    - To what extent are the frameworks/guidance documents generic, or applicable to specific occupational contexts or job roles? Are they relevant to other sectors?

    - What are recommendations for research, policy, and practice?

    Outcome - a guide that synthesises research and existing frameworks on suicide postvention and identifies best practice to help organisations develop an evidence-informed, postvention strategy to support people, identify those at risk and how risks can be reduced.

    View full details and the programme here.

    This event is free to attend. Please note, this is an active participation meeting rather than a traditional CPD only event - attendees will be expected to contribute and participate.

    Places at this event are limited to 20.  

  • 13 December 2023
    London

                

    SOM Christmas Drinks Reception and Occupational Health Awards at the Royal College of Physicians, London

    Wednesday 13th December 7.00-9.30pm. £25 per ticket 

    Thanks to our generous sponsors Cordell Health, Greys Specialist Recruitment, and NEBOSH.

    There is a limit of numbers of 100. The Reception will include drinks, nibbles and our annual SOM OH awards ceremony. Come along and celebrate what has been achieved by us all this year, meet old friends and new in a relaxed and picturesque setting.

    Dress: smart casual. Please bring your email ticket with you!

    Venue Address: Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent's Park, London NW1 4LE.

    Agenda (TBC):

    7.00pm Arrival

    7.30pm Welcome 

    7.40pm The Awards

    8.15pm Thanks and end of Awards

    9.30pm Close

    Liability: neither the SOM nor the venue is able to take responsibility for injury or damage to persons or property.

    We ask all attendees to follow the current RCP venue guidelines e.g. with regard to COVID-19.

     

  • 31 December 2023
    Webinar

    MFOM Revision Course

    Available online throughout the year

    MFOM Revision is  your one-stop destination for MFOM exams revision. MFOM Revision's mission is to inspire confidence in candidates by providing high-quality and accessible (24/7) resources designed to help candidates succeed in their Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (MFOM) examinations. 

    MFOM Revision's online platform is ideal for revision on the go. 

    For more information, please click here

    Join SOM before booking and get 35% off this course. Join SOM then email admin@som.org.uk to obtain the discount code. For queries about SOM membership, email membership@som.org.uk

  • 31 December 2023
    Webinar

     

    The four courses aim to help delegates understand the facts about drug & alcohol misuse in the workplace including legal considerations, how to compile a substance misuse policy and interpretation of reports generated by the laboratory.

    Collection Officer Training
    Who should attend: Anyone who undertakes Chain of Custody collections; OHA / OHNAs; Occupational Health Physicians; GPs; HR Managers; Health & Safety Officers; trade union members
    Course content:
    - Preparing a site for collection
    - Mechanics of a urine collection, trouble shooting and common errors
    - Collection demonstration for back-to-lab and Point of Collection [POC] devices
    - Breathalyser selection, calibration and verification with demonstration
    - What happens to the samples in the laboratory
    - Oral fluid and hair collections
    Cost: £250 per delegate

    MRO Training, part 1
    Who should attend: OHA / OHNAs; Occupational Health Physicians; GPs
    Course content:
    - The role of the Medical Review Officer [MRO] including the Medical Review
    - Laboratory process
    - Adulteration checks and how donors try and mislead the testing
    - Drug metabolism looking at the fact and fiction behind positive samples
    - Evaluation and debate of Chain of Custody cases through result interpretation
    Cost: £250 per delegate

    MRO Training, part 2
    Who should attend: OHA / OHNAs; Occupational Health Physicians; GPs
    Course content:
    - Use of alternative biological samples such as hair, oral fluid, sweat and sweat vapour
    - Pros and cons of Point of Collection [POC] devices, how to develop protocols consistent with the principles of Chain of Custody
    - Quality and accreditation, UK Guidelines for Workplace Drugs Testing, minimum service level to expect
    - Alcohol including biomarkers such as EtG/EtS, FAEE
    - Evaluation via MCQs
    Cost: £250 per delegate

    Policy Workshop
    Who should attend: HR Managers; Health & Safety Officers; Occupational Health professionals; trade union members
    Course content:
    - Drawing up a draft substance misuse policy
    - Timelines for policy introduction and educational requirements
    Cost: £150 per delegate for a half-day

    On-site courses can be tailored to your requirements. Please call for further information and details of costs

    Venues and dates available throughout 2023:

     

    Policy, afternoon

    Collection Officer

    MRO1

    MRO2

    Zoom UK/GMT

    13-Feb

    14-Feb

    15-Feb

    16-Feb

    Zoom UK/BST

    07-Aug

    08-Aug

    09-Aug

    10-Aug

    Zoom UAE BST-3hrs

    16-Apr

    17-Apr

    18-Apr

    19-Apr

    Zoom UAE BST-3hrs

    01-Oct

    02-Oct

    03-Oct

    04-Oct

    Dates and start times can be adapted to your time zone. Please contact Helen Vangikar for further details.

    All delegates will receive an information pack and certificate(s), and MRO1 and MRO2 are accredited and qualify for CPD hours from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians [UK].

    To view further course details please click here.

    For more information please email: helen@helenvangikar.com or visit www.helenvangikar.com.

  • 31 December 2023
    Webinar

     

    Occupational Health Technician Course  

    Available online throughout the year

    Price £490 + VAT  

    A highly interactive online course, suitable for new entrants to the profession as well as a refresher course on the core principles for existing technicians. You can work through this course independently at a time that suits you.

    This course is split into 2 parts, comprising a total of 18 E-Learning Modules:

    Part 1: Online Learning Modules - Introduction to Occupational Health

    This is a full introduction to all aspects of the role of the Occupational Health Technician including necessary background information and the main duties and areas of work you will undertake. These interactive E-learning modules provide you with all the knowledge you require to competently undertake this exciting role, whilst also increasing your confidence and understanding of what the job really entails.

    Part 2: Online Learning Modules - Theoretical Concepts behind Practical Requirements of the Role

    These further E-Learning modules look at the more practical aspects of an Occupational Health Technician role. They will improve your theoretical understanding of the practical tasks you will undertake in your day to day role. Alongside this is an Occupational Health Technician Competency Booklet, put together in conjunction with the SOM, for your supervisor to sign off.

    Download the Course Overview here.

    Click here to book or email admin@eoph.co.uk for further information.

  • 09 January 2024
    North East

    Venue: 4, Forest Farm Business Park, York YO19 4RH.

    This one day learning event will support occupational health professionals to:

    - Become more aware of the challenges and strengths of neurodivergent employees in the workplace.

    - Clarify the role of occupational health in supporting employees.

    - Improve the working relationship occupational health have with HR and line managers.

    - Provide practical advice in providing reasonable adjustments.

    Using a blended medical and social model this training will educate individuals and organisations to understand this by ensuring the neurodivergent community is at the heart of our offering.

    This training session will share up to date information, provide opportunities to discuss current challenges and issues, as well as co-create solutions to help you in your role.

    This training is for all interested professionals who would like to be involved in developing and reshaping the important role occupational health has in supporting employees in organisations.

    Cost £95 + VAT.

    Full details here.

    To book please email robert@creasedpuddle.co.uk

  • 15 January 2024
    Webinar

       

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Summary: 

    This webinar is the first in our free-to-access series on "Basics in OH".

    Agenda:

    - 12:00 to 12:05: Welcome and Introduction

    - 12:05 to 13:00: Professor Anthony Seaton will discuss his book, "Farewell King Coal," covering the history of coal, lung disease, air pollution, and an introduction to silicosis.

    - 13:00 to 13:40: Professor Ewan MacDonald will discuss how the diseases were managed, i.e., pneumoconiosis and silicosis.

    - 13:40 to 14:00: Question and Answer session

    Brief summary:

    Pneumoconiosis, a traditional occupational lung disease, continues to pose significant health risks in various parts of the world. Silicosis, in particular, remains a pressing international concern within the realm of occupational lung diseases. In this webinar, we are privileged to have two eminent figures in the field of respiratory and occupational medicine, Professor Anthony Seaton and Professor Ewan MacDonald, as they delve into these crucial topics.

    Speaker Bios:

    Professor Anthony Seaton

    Professor Anthony Seaton qualified in medicine from Cambridge University in 1962, and after training in Liverpool, he was appointed assistant professor of medicine at the University of West Virginia, USA in 1969. He became a consulting chest physician at the University of Wales in 1971, and was named director of the Institute of Occupational Medicine at Edinburgh in 1978. Seaton became the head of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Aberdeen in 1988 and, upon retiring in 2003, became an emeritus professor. He continues to write and teach and has active research interests in the causes of asthma and occupational illness. Anthony Seaton is a co-author of numerous publications and books, including: "Practical Occupational Medicine," "Occupational Lung Diseases," and "Crofton and Douglas's Respiratory Diseases." He has been the president of the British Thoracic Society (1999-2000), was the editor of "Thorax" (1977–82), and has served on the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollution for the Department of Health, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, Royal Society / Royal Academy of Energy Working Group on Nanoscience, NERC Research Advisory Committee on Human Health and Environment. He was also the chairman of the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards from 1992 to 2002. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1998 New Year Honours, is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Contemporary Scotland, and has an honorary DSc from Aberdeen University and the medal of the British Thoracic Society. In 2018, he published "Farewell King Coal: From Industrial Triumph to Climatic Disaster," an account of the history of coal and its involvement in causing air pollution and climate change.

    Professor Ewan MacDonald 

    Professor Ewan MacDonald is the Head of the Healthy Working Lives Group, which he established at the University of Glasgow in 1990. He divides his time between academic activities and the provision of clinical Occupational Health and Safety services through his company MacOH Ltd. Ewan is a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London, and a Fellow and Past President of the UK Faculty of Occupational Medicine. He is a Founder and Past President of the Occupational Medicine section of the Union of European Medical Specialists. In 2015, by invitation of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewan presented the C.O. Sappington Memorial Lecture at the spring American Occupational Health Conference. In 2018, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Faculty of Occupational Medicine for his services to Occupational Health both in Ireland and internationally. Numerous past honorary appointments have included Honorary Colonel of 225 Medical Regiment for 6 years. Ewan developed the Healthy Working Lives paradigm, which was adopted as policy in Scotland. Subsequently, he stimulated its review, which led to the Health Works Policy. During 2011, he chaired the implementation group of the first Health Works pilot to introduce a redesigned musculoskeletal service in the Health Service in Scotland with the aim of ensuring a more patient-centered, faster service with a focus on return to maximum function, including work, where appropriate. Ewan also proposed the OHS Extra service, which was the forerunner of the "Fit for Work" service across the UK.

    Chair: Professor Kaveh Asanati

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

  • 22 January 2024
    Webinar

       

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Summary: 

    6 in 10 leaders want more attention paid to employee wellbeing as the foundation of their S in ESG strategy.

    It’s an opportunity to genuinely get wellbeing on the board agenda. And it simply makes sense for people and for business.

    Both ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and wellbeing drive reputation. People want to work for organisations that genuinely have the best interests of their people and communities at heart, and they listen to recommendations.

    So, an ESG strategy that doesn’t consider people is arguably sitting on very shaky ground. As Occupational Health know, wellbeing, in terms of being an evidenced outcome of employee engagement, necessitates cultural and behavioural change. Not the addition of ever more (non-evidence-based) ‘solutions’.

    Wellbeing as part of ESG is an all-of-company collaborative effort, not just an HR effort, and OH is perfectly placed to be a key stakeholder.

    With government eyes on the OH sector, the time is ripe to communicate to both government and employers the value of OH as a key stakeholder within an ESG/wellbeing strategy. Not just a function that struggling employees are ‘sent to’ for assessment….

    Speaker

    Suzanne Clarkson is Founder and Managing Director of Coach House Communications. She has worked in reputation management for 20+ years, including in-house at Bupa and Simplyhealth, plus consultancy to Legal & General, Generali Employee Benefits, Willis Towers Watson, Gallagher, and SMEs in the not-for-profit, health and social care sectors.

    Suzanne recently gained a Masters in Internal Communication Management and has particular interests in psychological safety and employee voice. In other words, joining the dots to help organisations understand the way in which internal life and leadership impacts external brand perception. And creating the conditions to help improvement employee engagement and, hence, wellbeing.

    Chair: Janet O'Neill

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

  • 23 January 2024
    Webinar

       

    FREE for SOM Members (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    What will be covered: 

    Summary - This webinar will look at the potential benefits and challenges of implementing digital MSK intervention tools in the workforce. Ian Prangley from TrackActive will share his experiences and learnings from developing and implementing a digital MSK self-management platform into occupational health and employee workplace settings. 

    Bio - Ian Prangley qualified as a physiotherapist through the University of Queensland in 2000 in Brisbane, Australia. He later completed Masters Degrees in Sports Physiotherapy and Strength and Conditioning and mostly worked with and trained Australian and British professional tennis players in the early part of his career. Whilst completing his MBA he started up Active Health Tech Ltd, initially developing TrackActive Pro, an exercise prescription and monitoring software for physiotherapists and their patients. In 2020, the 'TrackActive Me' self-care musculoskeletal health application was launched to the insurance and occupational health market. Ian lives in London with his family and is the Managing Director of Active Health Tech Ltd.

    Chair: Prof Tony Wolfe

    FREE for SOM Members (please log in on the SOM website). You will then be sent the join link.

     

  • 24 January 2024
    Webinar

       

    FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first). 

    Summary: 

    Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, in March 2024, where Muslim workers are likely to be fasting, join us in this webinar which presents an overview of Ramadan and work. This webinar aims to increase the understanding of Ramadan and highlight what the potential challenges and opportunities are for a Muslim workers fasting during Ramadan. Advice and guidance are suggested to help employers provide supportive measures for employees who are fasting and  create more welcoming work environments, leading to increased productivity and worker satisfaction.

    In order to do so, this session will:

    -    Provide an overview of Ramadan and how Muslim workers balance religious and professional obligations

    -    Discuss the potential impact of fasting on health and fitness for work.

    -    Help Occupational Health clinicians guide and explain to employers what measures they can consider to support employees who are fasting

    -    Provide a safe platform for attendees to voice any queries and to help dispel any myths regarding Ramadan, fasting and work.

    Speakers;

    Dr Salman Waqar MRCGP, President, British Islamic Medical Association, Hon. Academic General Practitioner, Imperial College London

    Dr Mohammed Arif Moothadeth MSc MFOM(UK) MFOM(I) ad eu, Consultant Occupational Health Physician and Force Medical Adviser, Lancashire Constabulary.

    Chair: Dr Sarwar Chowdhury

    FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.

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