A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management Tool for improving the risk management of MSDs

Join us on Thursday 26 July 2022 for a webinar presentation titled: A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management Tool for improving the risk management of MSDs Presented by Bronwen Otto, FACP and Jodi Oakman, Associate Professor.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the largest Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) problem in many countries, including Australia where their annual total costs are calculated to be over $24 billion. With our ageing population and increasing need for higher retirement ages, there is an urgent need for workplaces to implement evidence-based practices that will reduce MSD risk more effectively. There is now robust evidence from a large body of peer-reviewed research over the past four decades, including both epidemiological and intervention studies, that a diverse range of work-related psychosocial hazards affect MSD risk. In addition, MSD risk management is more effective when it entails input from workers, that is high levels of participation. However, this evidence    is not translated into current workplace risk management practices.

This presentation will outline key evidence to practice gaps in the current approaches to the risk management of MSDs. A review of the current research on MSD aetiology will be provided along with insights from a range of projects based in Australian workplaces which have underpinned the development of APHIRM (A Participative Hazard identification and Risk Management) toolkit to address these important gaps. APHIRM is based on principles of implementation science and uses a WHO (World Health Organisation) model of toolkits to maximise sustainability. APHIRM is designed for workplace practitioners to implement in their own organisations to reduce the burden of MSDs.

A case study of APHIRM implementation will be presented highlighting the challenges and enablers to using the toolkit in a real-world setting.

Learning Outcomes

• An update on contemporary evidence on the important role of psychosocial hazards in the aetiology of MSDs
• An overview of the evidence underpinning the development of APHIRM toolkit
• The key principles for successful implementation of APHIRM toolkit
• Some examples of risk management plans developed with APHIRM

Event Details

Date: Thursday 26 July 2022
Time: 14:30 - 15:30 AEST
Format: Webinar Format - Log in details will be emailed to registered attendees 1-2 days prior to the webinar. 
Cost: Complimentary

This webinar will be recorded and distributed to registered attendees 3-4 days after the event.

Your Presenters 

Bronwen Otto, FACP

Specialist Occupational Health Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2009); Masters Ergonomics, Safety & Health (La Trobe University); B.App.Sci (Physiotherapy) University of Sydney; Grad Cert (OHS Management) University of NSW.

Bronwen has 30 years’ experience in Occupational Health and Safety, which began as a clinical physiotherapist treating injured coal miners. Developing an interest in preventing workplace injuries and enhancing workers’ wellbeing, Bronwen has held operational and strategic roles across a diverse range of industries, including at a national and global level. She has spent the majority of her career in the mining industry, working for Anglo American, Thiess and BHP. Bronwen’s particular areas of interest are prevention of work-related musculoskeletal and mental health disorders.

Jodi Oakman, Associate Professor

Doctor of Philosophy (La Trobe University); MSc & Tech in Ergonomics (UNSW); B.App.Sci (Physiotherapy) La Trobe University; Grad Cert in Higher Ed and Teaching; Grad Cert in Implementation Science (UCSF).

Associate Professor Jodi Oakman leads the Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors at La Trobe University. She worked in a range of industry settings as an Ergonomist before moving to Academia.

She currently leads a range of projects on the influences of working at home on health and well-being, women, work and COVID-19 and barriers to implementing evidence informed approaches to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevention. Associate Professor Oakman is the current holder of a MRFF TRIP Fellowship, which is focussed on translating research evidence into practice in the area of MSD prevention.

She has led the development of A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management (APHIRM) toolkit for the prevention of MSDs and stress related mental health disorders (MHDs). It is one of the only tools available to support workplaces to develop a comprehensive set of risk controls for both physical and psychosocial hazards to reduce their MSDs and MHDs.