Don't miss out – Queensland to host first national Musculoskeletal Disorders Symposium

As work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continue to top the list of work-related injuries, La Trobe University's head of Ergonomics and Human Factors, Jodi Oakman will feature at next month's first ever national MSD Symposium in Brisbane.

Associate Professor Oakman has published widely on the impact of work on people's health and leads a range of research projects, with a particular focus on work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Her latest research shows:

• MSDs are more commonly arising from cumulative exposure to one or more hazards over an extended period
• workplaces need to follow the hierarchy of risk control and understand the importance of worker participation in the risk management process
• there is a failure in most workplaces in their approach to identify and manage all relevant risks for MSDs. This includes an overreliance on single focus interventions such as lifting technique training and individual worker behaviour, rather than more comprehensive and effective systems approaches.

Ms Oakman will deliver a workshop, A participative hazard identification and risk management toolkit at the two-day event, tying into the symposium's theme: Safety by design—building workplace capability.

Check out the speaker program, which centres on core principles of designing out hazards, incorporating effective risk controls and designing in efficiencies at the outset to protect workers (the systems approach to management). Also on the agenda are: what compliance looks like for managing MSDs; links to improved health and wellbeing; and other benefits such as increased productivity.

The MSD Symposium features three world class presenters from the US and UK, as well as national keynote speakers and stream presenters, industry case studies and interactive workshops.

Further information

Want more? Register for the safety leadership networking dinner to hear from keynote speakers on what contributes to improving safety culture, accountability and governance for effective workplace health and safety outcomes.

Register now for the first ever national MSD Symposium.