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.
Dr Peter Connaughton
Occupational Physician
The Value of Occupational
Medicine – Innovations and Advances from the International Occupational Medicine Society Collaborative (IOMSC)
This presentation will provide the latest updates from the “IOMSC Global Thought Leaders Summit” held in Geneva in May, which included attendees from the International Labour organisation, the WHO and over forty international Chief Medical Officers. The creation of the innovative online “IOMSC Business Case Tool” will be discussed, together with the working group report on the business case for investing in employee health.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the global trends of rising chronic disease and ageing working populations, and how they are driving up healthcare costs and impacting productivity.
- Describe how occupational health programmes can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity and lower insurance premiums and compensation costs.
- Describe how leveraging occupational health as a strategic investment can enable organisations to address immediate and emerging risks, including mental health and climate change by successfully integrating AI and other technological advances.
Prof Gordon Cable AM
Head of Flight Medicine, Human Aerospace
Trust, Disclosure and Fitness for Duty in Safety-Critical Aviation Workers
Professional pilots and air traffic controllers operate in safety-critical roles where medical certification is essential to protect public safety, however fear of losing certification may discourage some workers from seeking healthcare or openly disclosing medical conditions. This presentation explores the evidence for healthcare avoidance in aviation,
examines its implications for worker health and safety, and discusses how
trusted occupational medicine practice can promote early intervention, honest disclosure and safe retention in work.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the factors that contribute to healthcare avoidance and medical non-disclosure among safety-critical aviation workers.
- Discuss the role of occupational and aviation medicine in promoting trust, early healthcare engagement and appropriate management of aeromedically significant conditions.
- Recognise how evidence-based certification pathways and supportive medical management can improve worker health while maintaining aviation safety.
Dr Silvia Pignata
Senior Lecturer, Adelaide University
Fatigue Management in Aviation: Bridging Sleep Science, Regulation, and Occupational Health
Fatigue remains one of the most significant threats to safety, health, and performance in the aviation industry. This presentation explores the science of sleep and fatigue, examining how sleep loss, circadian disruption, and extended duty periods can impair cognitive functioning, decision-making, and operational safety. Drawing on principles from human factors and safety science, the session will provide practical insights on the identification, assessment, and
regulatory management of fatigue in aviation, highlighting opportunities to
support worker wellbeing while enhancing safety outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the physiological and cognitive effects of fatigue and how sleep loss, circadian disruption, and extended work hours impact health, performance, and aviation safety.
- Understand key aviation fatigue regulations and the principles of Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS).
- Integrate contemporary sleep science, regulatory compliance, and occupational health interventions to enhance fatigue risk management and worker health outcomes in aviation and related industries.
