Faculty of Occupational Medicine Spring Conference marks start of 50th anniversary year
The RCPI Faculty of Occupational Medicine Spring Conference, held on 10 April, marked the beginning of the faculty’s 50th anniversary year. The event brought together occupational health professionals to explore key issues shaping the specialty.
The conference featured keynote addresses, expert-led sessions and panel discussions giving attendees the opportunity to examine emerging challenges and share practical insights across a range of clinical and workplace health topics.
Speaking at the conference, Dean of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Dr Alex Reid, highlighted the importance of maintaining an enquiring mindset, working collaboratively and ensuring that occupational medicine continues to have a strong voice in protecting and promoting worker health. He also pointed to the specialty’s unique role in shaping workplace health policy.
There were two 50th anniversary keynote addresses at the conference. The first was delivered by Professor Raymond Agius of the University of Manchester who examined the occupational health implications of the pandemic and the future direction of the specialty. He cautioned against a return to pre-pandemic norms and called for a more strategic, prevention-focused approach.
“We cannot lapse into ‘business as before’ because it would entail accepting a partly preventable risk to health at work, posing unacceptable risks for some individuals and workplaces and weakening pandemic resilience,” he said. “We need a substantial paradigm shift and a multidisciplinary strategy to protect workers from airborne infections.”
Professor Agius also emphasised the role of occupational medicine in working alongside public health while maintaining its distinct focus. He highlighted its contribution to risk reduction, worker rehabilitation, evidence-based advice and the importance of advocacy as a core function of the specialty.
The second keynote was delivered by Dr Finola M Ryan who put a spotlight on the important role of occupational health in performing arts looking at the workplace hazards from physical to ergonomic to psychosocial.
The conference also featured a legal update from Lewis Silkin on workplace accommodations and the concept of reasonableness in employment law. It also included a presentation from the Health and Safety Authority on protecting workers’ health through effective regulations.
Clinical sessions addressed a range of topics relevant to occupational practice including Parkinson’s disease, functional neurological disorder, migraine management and occupational lung disease. These sessions highlighted the importance of supporting workers with complex health conditions and the evolving clinical challenges facing occupational physicians.
The conference also saw the official launch of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s 50th anniversary art competition. The competition, organised in collaboration with the RCPI Heritage Centre, aims to highlight the faculty’s work and explore the intersection of work and medicine through visual art. It is open to trainees, licentiates, members, fellows and RCPI staff across the College and its faculties and institutes.
The Spring Conference marks a milestone in the faculty’s 50th anniversary celebrations, highlighting its ongoing commitment to advancing occupational medicine and supporting safer, healthier workplaces.
Image gallery
View images from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine Spring Conference 2026