Event programme for the HSENI Workplace Health Conference and Exhibition
Below you will find the event programme for the 2025 Workplace Health Conference being held at the La Mon Hotel and Country Club, Belfast.
Wednesday 9 April 2025
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8.00am - 9.00am | Registration, tea/coffee and exhibition |
| 9.00am - 9.10am | Welcome from HSENI’s Chair of the Board Catherine Irwin MBE, Chair, HSENI |
| 9.10am - 9.20am | Welcome address (1) Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy |
| 9.20am - 9.30am | Welcome address (2) Mike Nesbitt MLA, Minister for Health |
| 9.30am - 10.00am | Protecting tomorrow’s workers today Martin Rafferty, Principal Inspector, HSENI |
| 10.00am - 10.15am | Launch of the Workplace Health Advertisement Campaign Darren Lyttle, Creative Director, We Are Genesis |
| 10.15am - 10.40am | Refreshments and exhibition |
| 10.40am - 11.10am | Occupational lung disease, the local picture Dr Paul McKeagney, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Belfast Trust |
| 11.10am - 11.40am | Do I need health/medical surveillance? What should I be looking for? Dr Steve Forman, Principal Medical Advisor, HSE & Consultant Occupational Physician |
| 11.40am - 12.10pm | Occupational Asthma Professor David Fishwick, Chief Medical Advisor for HSE & HSENI |
| 12.10pm - 12.40pm | Cancer risks and the workplace Dr Damien Bennett Director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) and Dr Dan Middleton, Cancer Epidemiologist, NICR |
| 12.40pm - 1.40pm | Lunch and exhibition |
| 1.40pm - 2.10pm | The Gathering Drum Joe Loughlin, Drum Circle Facilitator, The Gathering Drum |
| 2.10pm - 2.40pm | Breakout sessions: How to protect yourself from cancers within the workplace - Naomi Thompson, Health Improvement Manager, Cancer Focus NI Occupational Health Risk Navigator Tool and HSENI Website - Laura Hughes, Inspector, HSENI The synergy from Occupational Health Providers working together - Catherine Shannon, Deputy Secretary, NICSHR |
| 2.40pm - 3.00pm | Standards, quality and value in occupational health Dr Robin Cordell, President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine |
| 3.00pm - 3.25pm | Refreshments and exhibition |
| 3.25pm - 3.45pm | A multi-disciplinary approach to occupational health delivery in NI Dr Martin Tohill, Consultant Occupation Health Physician, Belfast Trust |
| 3.45pm - 4.05pm | Workplace health in the Republic of Ireland Dr Adrienne Duff, Assistant CEO, Health and Safety Authority |
| 4.05pm - 4.25pm | The importance of occupational therapy Diane Keys, Lead Occupational Therapist in Occupational Health, Belfast Trust |
| 4.25pm - 4.45pm | Condition Management Programme Colin Reilly, Co-Ordinator of the Condition Management Programme (CMP), Belfast Trust |
| 4.45pm | Day one closing remarks and thanks Robert Kidd, Chief Executive, HSENI |
Thursday 10 April 2025
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8.30am - 9.00am | Registration, tea/coffee and exhibition |
| 9.00am - 9.10am | Welcome and recap on previous day from HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd, Chief Executive, HSENI |
| 9.10am - 9.20am | Welcome address Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland |
| 9.20am - 9.45am | Advocating for occupational health and wellbeing Dr Abigail O’Reilly, RCPI Occupational Medicine Advocacy Lead & Consultant Occupational Health Physician |
| 9.45am - 10.10am | The impact of good occupational health management Mike Calcutt, Deputy Director, Engagement & Policy Division, HSE |
| 10.10am - 10.35am | Occupational disease trends within the UK and Ireland Professor Martie Van Tongeren, University of Manchester and Principal Investigator for The Health and Occupation Research Network (THOR) |
| 10.35am - 11.00am | Refreshments and exhibition |
| 11.00am - 11.25am | Mental well-being within the workplace Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland |
| 11.25am - 11.50am | Addressing work based stress - Case study Julia Ritchie, Head of Psychology, PRRT and Helen McGaughey, Physiotherapy Lead, PRRT |
| 11.50am - 12.15pm | Bending over backwards for manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomist, HSE |
| 12.15pm - 12.40pm | Occupational dermatitis - Scratching the itch! Dr Lucinda McWhor, Senior Medical Officer and Occupational Health Physician, BHSF Occupational Health Ltd |
| 12.40pm - 1.40pm | Lunch and exhibition |
| 1.40pm - 2.05pm | The importance of water hygiene and legionella checks Duncan Smith, Head of Specialist Division Health Unit, HSE |
| 2.05pm - 2.30pm | Vibration - Are today’s workers properly protected? Chris Steele, Principal Specialist Inspector, HSE |
| 2.30pm - 2.55pm | Menopause and the workplace Dr Andrea Latimer, Occupational Health Doctor and Primary Care Women’s Health Specialist, HSCNI |
| 2.55pm - 3.20pm | Refreshments and exhibition |
| 3.20pm - 3.45pm | Joining the dots - The role of an Occupational Hygienist Professor Kevin Bampton, Chief Executive Officer, BOHS |
| 3.45pm - 4.05pm | Working on workplace health Clare Moore, Equality & Social Affairs Officer, NIC ICTU |
| 4.05pm - 4.30pm | Survivor Story - Take My Breath Away George Haslett, NI Farmer |
| 4.30pm - 4.55pm | Reflections on a career in secondary care - Why prevention is even more important than cure? Professor David Fishwick, Chief Medical Advisor for HSE & HSENI |
| 4.55pm | Day 2 Closing remarks and thanks Robert Kidd, Chief Executive, HSENI Ronan Kelly, Compère |