Full Program
We are excited to offer a program filled with leading experts and content showing the latest developments in occupational health.
The program begins on Sunday afternoon with optional sessions or workshops and the Welcome Reception - a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and make new connections. The meeting continues on Monday through to Wednesday with an impressive selection of industry professionals presenting across keynote sessions and two breakout sessions. The gala dinner will be held on Tuesday evening and is a great chance to extend connections made through the meeting. We finish the meeting with site visits on Wednesday afternoon with a choice of 5 options available.
11:00am - 1:00pm
General Council Meeting
1:30pm - 2:30pm
CPR Update
Our annual CPR Update is a convenient way to refresh your practical CPR skills and secure your required accreditation. Delivered by our long-term provider, HERO, the session is not included in full registration and can be booked separately when you register. Spaces are limited.
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Registrar Session
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Witness Seminar: Shaping our speciality: History of the Development of Competencies
The History of Occupational Medicine team return to the ASM in 2026 to continue their exploration of key historical developments within the field of occupational medicine. Building on the successful format and outcomes of the first witness seminar in 2022, a panel of occupational physicians will contribute an oral history of their early involvement in competency development and training delivery, joined by recent graduates who will reflect on their experience of the current program. Open discussion involving seminar participants will no doubt contribute to a richer understanding of our pathway to the present, with lessons for the future delivery of occupational medicine training.
8:30am - 8:45am
Presidents' Welcome
Dr Armand Casolin, AFOEM President & Dr Rebecca Dingle, ANZSOM President
8:45am - 9.00am
Welcome to Country
9:00am - 9:30am
Welcome Address
9:30am - 10:30am
Ferguson Glass Oration
Professor Michael Kidd, Chief Medical Officer, Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
10:30am - 11:00am
Morning Tea
11:00am - 1:00pm
Mental Health
This session will explore current perspectives on workplace mental health, including building resilience, and supporting gender diversity at work.
11:00am - 11:40am
The quest for doctors in denial
Dr Jo-Jo-Anna Wilson, Occupational Physician
11:40am - 12:20pm
Presentation title TBC
Dr Michael Schirripa, Psychiatrist, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist
12:20pm - 12:50pm
Presentation title TBC
Dr Dan Pronk, Ex-SASR Special Operation Doctor, Author, Medical Director
12:50pm - 1:00pm
Q & A
Worker Wellbeing
This session explores and addresses employee physical and health wellbeing including weight management, heart health and mental wellbeing. Organisations which support wellbeing have employees who are more engaged, healthier and more productive. Strong well being at work reduces health care costs and improves overall performance. In this session weight management strategies, health promotion and heart health checks are explored to improve worker wellbeing.
11:00am - 11:40am
Complexities of modern obesity management
Dr George Balalis, Bariatric Surgeon
11:40am - 12:20pm
Presentation title TBC
Rosalie Glover, Occupational Health Nurse
12:20pm - 12:50pm
Presentation title TBC
Speaker TBC
12:50pm - 1:00pm
Q & A
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Lunch
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Investing in Worker Health
Investing in worker health increases productivity, reduces costs and turnover and enhances reputation. This session explores the value proposition of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and will build on existing work and tie this to available current research in Australia and internationally. This is followed by a presentation discussing psychosocial safety and organisation intervention and strategies to reduce psychological strain.
2:00pm - 2:25pm
The Value of Occupational Medicine – Innovations
and Advances from the International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative (IOMSC)
Dr Peter Connaughton, Occupational Physician
2:25pm - 2:50pm
Trust, Disclosure and Fitness for Duty in Safety-Critical Aviation Workers
Prof Gordon Cable AM, Head of Flight Medicine
2:50pm - 3:15pm
Fatigue Management in Aviation: Bridging Sleep Science, Regulation, and Occupational Health
Dr Silvia Pignata, Senior Lecturer, Adelaide University
3:15pm - 3:30pm
Q & A
When sleep becomes a workplace hazard: OSA, fatigue and fitness for duty
Sleep disorders and fatigue are common, under-recognised contributors to occupational risk, particularly in safety-critical workers, commercial drivers and shift workers. Occupational health clinicians are often asked to make complex decisions about work capacity, driving safety, treatment adequacy and return to duty, frequently with incomplete information and competing expectations from workers, employers and regulators. This interactive workshop will provide a practical framework for assessing sleep-related occupational risk, with a focus on obstructive sleep apnoea, excessive daytime sleepiness, shift work, insufficient sleep and CPAP adherence.
3:30pm - 4:00pm
Afternoon Tea
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Traumatic Brain Injury - rebuilding mind and body
Traumatic brain injury impacts every dimension of a person's life — from cognition and emotion to movement and independence. Andrew Rothwell and Dr James McLoughlin will explore a positive framework for assessment, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery in an integrated session that reflects true best-practice TBI care.
4:00pm - 5:20pm
Concussion and mTBI: from Injury to recovery and return to work
Dr James McLoughlin, Neurological Physiotherapist and
Dr Andrew Rothwell, Neuropsychologist
5:20pm - 5:30pm
Q & A
When sleep becomes a workplace hazard: OSA, fatigue and fitness for duty (cont.)
6:00pm - 9:30pm
Nurses Dinner
The special event for Occupational Health Nurses continues the tradition started at the ASM2018 to show appreciation for the hard work and give an opportunity for fun and connections with your fellow nurses.
8:00am - 8:45am
Journal Club
Now a popular and well-established feature of the ANZSOM Annual Scientific Meeting, Journal Club offers an opportunity to strengthen your critical appraisal skills while engaging with current occupational health research. It also provides a forum to discuss the practical application of emerging evidence with colleagues from across the profession.
The journal article will be made available in the lead up to the conference.
9:00am - 10.00am
Keynote address:
Turning evidence into decisions: The art and science of clinical decisions
Saravana Kumar
10:00am - 10:30am
Morning Tea
9:30am - 10:30am
Cultural Safety Workshop
Delivered by the RACP, this practical workshop explores considerations for ensuring cultural safety in daily practice, with case studies to highlight the key elements of cultural awareness relevant to clinical practice as well as systems and procedures to embed best practice approaches.
Occupational hygiene, occupational health and occupational medicine synergies
This session explores the critical interplay between occupational hygiene, occupational health, and occupational medicine, highlighting the value of collaboration in managing workplace health risks.
Andy McCarthy, Occupational Hygienist
Dr Nell Gillett
Anthony Bamford
12:30am - 1:30am
Lunch
1:30am - 3:00pm
Medicinal Cannabis - Policy and practice
The legalisation of medicinal cannabis has brought benefits for many but also many challenges. From historical beginnings and clinical efficacy to approval processes and workplace risk management, this session will equip delegates to navigate this rapidly changing area with great confidence.
1:30pm - 1:55pm
Presentation title TBC
Prof Michael Ward, Head of Pharmacy, School of
Pharmacy and Biomedical Science
1:55pm - 2:20pm
Presentation title TBC
Dr Matthew Green, Pain Physician
2:20pm - 2:45pm
Medicinal Cannabis, Prescription Medications and Fitness for Work: Navigating the Legal and Practical Challenges
Daniella Carling, Senior Associate, Finlaysons Lawyers
2:45pm - 3:00pm
Q & A
Understanding and managing whiplash injuries
Whiplash is a common neck injury, with many individuals experiencing long term pain and disability. In this session, we explore the cause and approach to management of whiplash related chronic headaches, which occur in up to 60% of presentations. This presentation is followed by a review of motor vehicle crash parameters associated with whiplash injury.
Dr Dean Watson, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Assoc Prof Andrew McIntosh
3:00pm - 3:30pm
Afternoon Tea
3:30pm - 5:00pm
Permanent impairment and independent medical examinations
Featuring a panel of experts, this session will cover the development of the new Permanent Impairment Guidelines in South Australia. Discussion will also cover common issues and challenges when undertaking an Independent Medical Examination from a medical and legal perspective.
3:30pm - 3:55pm
Co-design and updating of Impairment Assessment Guidelines for the RTWSA scheme
Dr Peter Jezukaitis, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Physician
3:55pm - 4:20pm
Being the independent examiner - The obligations and challenges, a legal perspective
Guy Biddle, Lawyer, employment and workplace safety
4:20pm - 4:45pm
Common Challenges, Professional Obligations and Emerging Considerations for Medical Assessors
Associate Professor Christopher Cunneen, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Physician
4:45pm - 5:00pm
Q & A
Tunnelling
This session will focus on the occupational health risks faced by tunnel workers, particularly the impact of exposure to respirable crystalline silica and the development of occupational lung disease. They will examine current evidence on silica exposure across different tunnelling methods and work groups, the diseases associated with tunnelling work, and the likely future burden of silica-related illness. They also discuss best-practice approaches to screening and monitoring current and former tunnel workers, including the use of chest radiographs and high-resolution CT imaging.
3:30pm - 4:10pm
Beneath the surface: the health risks of tunnelling work
Kate Cole OAM FAIOH, Certified Occupational Hygienist
4:10pm - 4:50pm
Tunnel workers and how to image their lungs
Catherine Jones , Radiologist
4:50pm - 5:00pm
Q & A
7:00pm - 11:00pm
Gala Dinner
Join us for a memorable evening at the ANZSOM ASM 2026 Conference Gala Dinner, held at the Adelaide Oval. Enjoy a unique dining experience while connecting with colleagues.
8:00am - 8:45am
Annual General Meeting
9:00am - 9.45am
Hugh Denehy Oration:
We know what to do - so why don't we do it?
Dr Mary Wyatt , Occupational & environmental Medicine Physician
9:45am - 10:00am
2026 Ramazzini Winner Presentation:
Evaluating Gaps in Occupational Medicine Education Among Final-Year Medical Students in Queensland:
A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study
Dr Laura Cameron, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Registrar
10:00am - 10:15am
2026 AFOEM Essay Winner:
A review of occupational UV exposure and skin cancer in Australia
Dr Yaron Gu, Junior Medical Officer
10:15am - 10:45am
Morning Tea
10:45am - 12:15pm
Contributed Papers 1
Contributed Papers 2
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Lunch
1:00pm - 4:30pm
Site visits
