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11 February 2025Webinar
FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first).
This exclusive webinar will cover
• Living and working on board – worse things do happen at sea
• Medical care on board ships
• Guidelines for the medical examination of seafarers – national and international.
o How are they developed?
o Why are they important?
o Current review process
• Individual risk assessment of fitness to work at sea
• The UK position
• International Maritime Health
o IMHA
o IMH and IMHFSpeakers:
Dr Sue Stannard was appointed as Chief Medical Advisor to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK in February 2022. Sue has a clinical background in Acute Medicine, Anaesthetics/ITU and Paediatrics. She worked as a Ship’s Doctor for P&O Princess and was later Medical Director at Carnival (UK). Sue was also Medical Director (Assistance) at International SOS in London overseeing all medical assistance cases. These included evacuation and repatriation flights, monitoring of medical cases overseas and providing medical advice to leisure and business travellers, expats and companies. She has worked as a Consultant at the Norwegian Centre of Maritime and Diving Medicine in Bergen and more recently as an Independent Consultant in Maritime Medicine, working closely with the maritime industry on a number of publications. She is currently studying for her Masters in Maritime Health. Sue is also an appraiser of UK Independent Doctors.
Her talk:
Worse things do happen at sea and the maritime environment is unique in many ways. For some seafarers working at sea, it is their living and working environment for many months at time, often remote from medical care and support. It is therefore key that seafarers are both physically and mentally fit to manage the challenges of life at sea to manage the risk to themselves, others on boar, the operation of the ship and the environment. This presentation will review the current UK Guidelines for fitness to work at sea and the ENG1 medical system for assessing fitness on an individual basis. As the maritime industry is a global entity, we will also look at the international perspective including ongoing work to ensure that the medical guidelines are up to date and how you can contribute to this and other work within the maritime industry.
Dr Imogen Stilz
Imogen is an accredited specialist in occupational medicine and a portfolio occupational physician. She’s working for Southwestern Railways (2021), University College London Hospital (2020), and Shell (2011). She is medical advisor for Shell’s commercial shipping operations. Imogen’s work has included research reports, presentations, and publications on occupational health quality indicators, industrial injuries compensation schemes, mental health and resilience training in seafarers, and remote health care off-shore.Her talk is entitled “Joining the dots – occupational health in an international commercial shipping fleet"
There are regulatory & industry standards and recommendations for many different elements of maritime health and wellbeing, covering medical fitness, health promotion, human factors, health hazards for physical & mental health, and medical care on board ship. Whilst the common goal is supporting the health and wellbeing of seafarers, these standards and recommendations often address only one element in isolation. There is however a complex interplay between these different elements, the ship’s environment, and seafarers’ health. The presentation shows where and how these elements connect and what organisational factors are important to make it all work.Michelle Johnson is Specialist OH Nurse Practitioner and has worked in OH since 1993, working across a broad spectrum of manufacturing, logistics, retail, defence and aviation, joining the world of OH from a fascination of differing industries and their effects on individual’s health.
In 2005, she completed a Masters degree in Strategic Management at Bristol University which has enabled her to take a more strategic view of how OH can provide a fundamental piece of the jigsaw puzzle for workers health and wellbeing within the wider aspect of organisational capability.
She has always been an avid supporter of the RNLI, herself being a sailor and was fortunate to obtain the OH and Wellbeing Manager’s role with the RNLI just over a year ago. Her feet hasn’t touched the ground since, taking her back to her roots of the fascination with workers and volunteers health.Her talk:
The RNLI has developed it’s own Medical Standards from a conglomeration of CAA, DVLA, MCA and various military standards, as Lifeboat Crews do not strictly fall into the definition of a Seafarer in accordance with the MCA. Whilst the RNLI is not considered an Emergency Service either, the fact remains that we have employees and volunteers who have search and rescue capability and go to sea to save lives in conditions that are unpredictable and challenging. Volunteers in particular love their role, so challenges exist where someone doesn’t meet the standards and they are ‘stood down’ which has led to mistrust of the OH service and a feeling that ‘if you get sent to OH you’ll be off the boat’
We are in the process of reviewing the ‘standards’ and their relation to ‘fitness to serve’ from a functional capability perspective, enabling more people to fulfil the role they love safely and effectively.
The talk looks at this unique group of people (and we mustn’t forget lifeguards who have a different set of standards) and the standards that have developed over the years to where we are today
Chair: Nancy Hey
FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.
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12 February 2025S Wales and W of England
Cheddar Gorge Cheese Workplace Visit
Date: Wednesday 12th February, 2pm
Location: The Cliffs, Cheddar BS27 3QA
There are 13 spaces available to join a workplace visit to the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co. There will be a tour which will include trying samples of cheese.
The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co are the only traditional Cheddar makers in the village of Cheddar. Their cheeses are made using raw milk and matured in the Cheddar Gorge caves.
Places will be allocated on a first serve first come basis.
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25 February 2025West Midlands
Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th February 2025
Venue: Best Western Manor Hotel, Meriden, Coventry
Course Overview
This 2-day course offers training to those working in respiratory physiology/medicine with an interest in occupational asthma, or those currently working in occupational health. It covers the core investigations into occupational asthma, how to do them and interpret them, with a case-based approach throughout.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course delegates will:
- Understand the definitions of occupational asthma
- Be competent in the initial methods for the diagnosis of occupational asthma
- Be knowledgeable about the investigations that can be performed to diagnose occupational asthma
- Understand the different methods of measuring peak expiratory flow, and the strengths and weaknesses of different manual and logging meters
- Understand spirometry and how to interpret data
- Be able to train workers to complete serial peak expiratory flows (PEFs) successfully
- Be proficient in using the Oasys program for plotting serial PEF measurements
- Know how to carry out surveillance for occupational asthma including analysis of serial lung function
- Understand what to do when a worker has abnormal spirometry or screening questionnaire results
- Be knowledgeable about legal aspects of occupational asthma and compensation.
Cost: £450; ARTP members £375.
Full details and booking form here.
Contact Vicky Moore at vicky.moore@uhcw.nhs.uk for further details/queries.
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25 February 2025Webinar
FREE for SOM Members (please log in on the SOM website first).
This exclusive webinar will remind delegates of the different formats by which cannabis is available, some legal others not. Confusion about prescription cannabis and off-book prescribing will be addressed. CBD products are in vogue for all ailments but when is CBD not CBD? Finally, the different approaches to workplace policies will be shared.
Chair: Dr Dominic Gonzalez
Speaker:Helen Vangikar is an independent Toxicology Consultant who has worked in the field of analytical chemistry and toxicology since 1988.
Since 1990 Helen has commissioned two laboratories from concept to accreditation, successfully gaining United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025. Both laboratories complied with the United Kingdom Laboratory Guidelines for Legally Defensible Workplace Drug Testing to which she contributed as a founder member. This document later became the foundation of the European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS) guidelines.
Since 1994, Helen has developed a number of training courses, including her well respected Medical Review Officer (MRO) courses gaining Faculty of Occupational Medicine accreditation, for occupational health professionals. These courses have been delivered to UK and International delegates, within the UK and overseas.
Currently Helen is a Technical Assessor for UKAS assessing ISO/IEC 17025 and a number of supporting documents. In addition she is the technical lead for the Society of Occupational Medicine Special Interest Group on workplace drug and alcohol issues, currently discussing prescription cannabis, CBD and ADHD medication.
FREE for SOM Members (please log in on the SOM website). You will then be sent the join link.
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26 February 2025Webinar
NEW Course from The At Work Partnership
Foundation Course in Occupational Health
Wednesday 26th – Thursday 27th February 2025 - A Two-Day Virtual Event
Chaired by Sandra Winters, Organisational Wellbeing Ltd
Are you new to the occupational health profession? Do you have less than two years’ experience but desire to improve your understanding of OH? Join The At Work Partnership for the Foundation Course in Occupational Health!
The At Work Partnership is pleased to launch a brand-new course focusing on the fundamental principles of occupational health. This introductory course is specifically designed to fast-track your knowledge and understanding of OH. The course will help you develop your professional abilities and maximise your contribution to your occupational health team. It will also be valuable for those planning further study in the field.
Taking place virtually over two in-depth study days, the course will guide delegates through some of the most important concepts in occupational health, including developing your legal and ethical knowledge, taking an evidence-based approach to fitness for work, sickness absence, disability and more!
Delegates will be taught by an expert team of tutors, with a wealth of invaluable occupational health knowledge, including course chair, Sandra Winters (Organisational Wellbeing), Dr John Ballard (Occupational Health [at Work] journal), Prof Diana Kloss (barrister), Dr Simon Sheard (Health Partners Group) and Susan Gee (Yorkshire Water).
For further details on the programme, view the course brochure and visit the event page at the website link below.
If you have any questions about the course, email conferences@atworkpartnership.co.uk
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFERS AVAILABLE
Book and pay by Friday 17th January 2025 and save up to £50 + VAT
Self-funded delegates from only £400 + VAT
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26 February 2025Webinar
FREE WEBINAR
PRESENTERS / TOPICS:
Dr Will Ponsonby – Artisanal and small scale gold mining
Dr Ponsonby will present on artisanal and small scale gold mining, including the use of mercury, female and child labour and the health effects observed. This information will be taken from the WHO literature review.Dr Peter Connaughton – The cost of extraction: Protecting miners from traditional and emerging risks
Dr Connaughton will discuss current approaches to traditional risks such as heat, ultraviolet radiation and hand injuries. He will also present on the growing challenges including mental health and wellness, and will discuss successes, failures and opportunities in each of these areas.Biographies:
Dr Will Ponsonby is a Past President of the UK Society of Occupational medicine (2018/2019) and has a breadth of experience in occupational medicine across the energy and resources sector. After qualifying in Birmingham UK in 1986, he trained in general practice and emergency medicine.
From 1996 he ran the medical service for Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC)/BP in Baku Azerbaijan. He was then International SOS Regional Medical Director for Russia and Kazakhstan for 4 years. While subsequently working for Shell he became board certified in occupational medicine in 2002.
Will remained at Shell until 2015, before taking on the role of Chief Medical Officer for Rio Tinto, which he held until 2018, based in London and Singapore, He has run his private occupational health consultancy practice since 2019 and is Senior Lecturer in Occupational Medicine University of Manchester. 2 years ago, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland established an introductory online training course for Occupational Medicine. He was appointed as program lead. This course provides training in Occupational Medicine to doctors across the globe.
Dr Peter Connaughton is an occupational physician in Perth, Western Australia and he has consulted to Rio Tinto Iron Ore for the past 16 years. He is the honorary Secretary of the International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative, which now has members from over 50 countries and is actively collaborating with the WHO and the ILO.
Peter is a Past-President of AFOEM (serving from 2016 to 2018) and he remains a member of the "It Pays to Care" working group. Peter initially trained in OEM at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh. He is a former Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle. His special interests include fostering international collaboration in OEM and assessing the value and impact of occupational health strategies.
Chair: Dr Lanre Ogunyemi, SOM President
FREE for ALL. Register online. You will then be sent the joining link.
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05 March 2025Central Southern England
FOR SOM MEMBERS ONLY - FREE
We have managed to secure a very exclusive tour of the new Morrisons Distribution Centre in Sittingbourne, Kent, on Wednesday 5th March 2025 commencing at 12.00, see timetable below.
Agenda:
- Meet at Main reception at 12pm
- "Fitback" site physio presentation in Conference room
- Full site tour
- Close approx. 3pmSpaces are limited to the first 14 SOM members to book on. Further details will be in the confirmation email.
SOM Members ONLY. If you are not a member, please join here https://www.som.org.uk/membership
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07 March 2025Webinar
FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first).
Accelerating women’s health and opportunities in the workplace.
At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 (five generations from now) to reach full gender parity in salary according to the World Economic Forum. Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face. How can we accelerate action in the workplace for better outcomes? What are the workplace barriers?Chair: Emma Persand
Karen Messing: the design of work 25 mins and short Q and A
Karen will ask how women can navigate the workplace contradictions between protecting their health and attaining equality. She will briefly present the current gender divisions among professions, tasks, and work activity, as well as the gendered interface between work and home demands. She will briefly cover the major biological sex differences relevant to work. She will describe several situations where women are forced to choose between becoming ill at work versus describing women-specific problems, making them vulnerable to accusations of not being “up to the job.” She will present solutions that have been found in Canada and elsewhere.Karen Messing is a Canadian geneticist and ergonomist. She is professor emerita in the department of biological sciences at the University of Quebec at Montreal and a member of the SAGE (Santé, Genre, Égalité) research team. She is known for her three books and many journal articles on gender, sex, occupational health, and ergonomics. She was given the Governor General’s Award for supporting women’s equality in 2009, the Yant Award of the American Industrial Health Association in 2014, and named an Honorary Fellow of the International Ergonomics Association in 2024, She was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.
Krystal Wilkinson: Work life inclusion – 25 mins and short Q and A
Krystal will discuss two strands of her research relevant to women’s health at work. The first concerns broadening our thinking about the ‘work-life interface’ beyond the juggle of work and young children, to consider a range of issues across the life course. The second concerns women’s reproductive health, and specifically the intersection of physical and mental health issues. She will draw on research in different occupational settings, including male dominated industries such as Policing and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).Krystal Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, based at the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on health and wellbeing at work and tackling inequalities. Current and recent research projects have focused on solo-living staff; those navigating complex fertility journeys; maternity management; mental health in pregnancy and post-birth; women’s reproductive health; and mental health. She has published in leading academic journals in her field including Human Resource Management Journal and Work, Employment and Society, and featured in global media outlets. Krystal is passionate about knowledge exchange and is working with various stakeholders to raise awareness and create resources, including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), national charities, campaign groups and employers. She is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and the first ambassador for the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.
Heejung Chung: Flexible working and women’s well-being – 25 min and short Q and A
Does flexible working – namely having more control over when and where you work/homeworking - really provide a better work-life balance, enhance worker’s well-being and gender equality? Flexible working can make workers work longer and harder. For men, this means more overtime, for women, this can mean more time at work and more time spent on childcare and housework. This explains why although part-time work can improve well-being outcomes of women, remote and flexible schedules do not. However, this is not inevitable, and we can change the context in which flexible working is used to make it better – including redefining the “standard worker” model to fit with the needs of modern-day families. This talk will bring together a body of research on this topic to talk about what we can do to make flexible working work well for workers’ well-being.Heejung Chung is the Director of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and Professor of Work and Employment at King's College London. She is a comparative labour market researcher with a focus on flexible working, home/remote working, future of work, and (intersectional) gender equality. She has over two decades of experience of research and teaching and have worked with both national and international government agencies. She has published over 100 publications, including her recent book The Flexibility Paradox (Policy Press, 2022) and report Flexible working arrangements and gender equality in Europe (European Commission, 2024).
Q and A – 15 mins
A fact sheet will be produced following the webinar.
FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.
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19 March 2025East of England
FOR SOM MEMBERS ONLY £25
We have secured a tour and tasting experience to the Adnams brewery in Southwold, Suffolk on Wed 19th March 2025 at 2PM. We are lucky to be accompanied by the Adnams Health & Safety Officer, so there will be plenty of opportunity for questions.
Spaces are limited to the first 11 SOM members to book on.
The Brewery Tour is approximately 1.5 hours in length. You will receive:
• A Health and Safety briefing
• A guided talk through Adnams history
• A visit through the Brewery
• A tasting of a range of Adnams beers to finishYou can find out more online here https://adnams.co.uk/products/brewery-tour
SOM Members ONLY. If you are not a member, please join here https://www.som.org.uk/membership
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25 March 2025Webinar
SPONSORED BY ORCHID LIVE.COM
FREE for ALL (please log in on the SOM website first).
This exclusive webinar, hosted by Janet O’Neill and delivered by Professor Anne Harriss aims to provide an understanding of who undertakes pre-placement assessments, and the reason for undertaking them. This includes the link to legislative requirements and the features of the job role including job demands. i.e. the assessment of an administrator will differ from that of a veterinary surgeon, a general surgeon, someone working at heights or working in confined spaces as a sewer worker.
This webinar is aimed at early career occupational health practitioners but will be a refresher for more experienced professionals. It will cover:
• Why pre-placement assessments are undertaken and linking this to legislative issues.
• Who undertakes them?
• The importance of linking the assessments to features of the job role
Professor Anne Harris is emeritus professor of occupational health with experience of leading on degree and masters level programmes for occupational health nurses and health and safety practitioners. Currently she delivers bespoke courses for a range of organisations on topics related to occupational health including the effect of work on physical and mental health and strategies
Chair: Janet O'Neill
FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.
We'd like to thank our sponsor - Orchid Live. Orchid Live is specialist occupational health software used by a number of SOM members to run every aspect of their occupational health operations. They hold healthcare records for over 1 million UK workers and work with both in-house OH teams and OH providers. You can find out more at OrchidLive.com