Programme
- 8.55
-
Registration and coffee
- 9.00
-
Welcome, introduction and background
Dr John Ballard, Occupational Health [at Work]- Fitness for work in safety-critical roles
- Major incidents
- 9.10
-
Pre-employment and pre-placement health screening: research update
Dr John Ballard, Occupational Health [at Work]- Health screening, discrimination and employment
- Complex questionnaires or simple declarations?
- Impact of equalities and data protection legislation on employment practice
- 9.55
-
The Law Part One: Discrimination – legal compliance and better practice
Audrey Ludwig, trainer and consultant- S.60 of The Equality Act 2010 and the exceptions
- Pre-employment medicals, fitness tests and age/sex/race discrimination
- Discrimination risks before the job offer, post job offer and during employment
- Reasonable adjustments
- Extension to pregnancy and maternity protection
- 10.45
-
Coffee
- 11.05
-
Fitness for work
Dr Tony Williams, Working Fit- Making evidence-based decisions
- Perceptions and beliefs regarding fitness
- Fitness for work after surgery
- Self-assessment/declaration versus employment medicals
- Role of the GP/specialist
- Do you need a specialist’s report
- Implications of ageing on fitness
- Healthcare
- Transport
- Rehabilitation, adjustments and adaptations
- 11.55
-
Safety-critical fitness for work
Dr Samantha Phillips, Transport for London- Assessing fitness for safety-critical work
– Pre-placement or pre-employment?
– Assessing ongoing fitness for work
– What criteria to use
– Industry standards
– Emerging issues – weight loss drugs - Drug and alcohol testing
– Legal and ethical considerations
– When to test and what to test
– Practicalities and pitfalls
– Emerging issues – medicinal cannabis
– Managing cases
- Assessing fitness for safety-critical work
- 12.50
-
Discussion forum
- An interactive Q&A session – your opportunity to discuss the issues that currently concern you with our expert speakers. Pre-submitted questions are welcome.
- 13.15
-
Lunch
- 14.10
-
Fitness to drive and the OH professional
Dr Amanda Edgeworth, DVLA- DVLA processes
- Interpreting the DVLA’s Assessing fitness to drive guidance
- Legal vs. professional responsibilities
- Disclosing medical conditions to the DVLA without the individual’s consent
- Developments in car technology
- Recent and forthcoming updates
- 15.05
-
Tea
- 15.25
-
The Law Part Two: occupational health issues – legal compliance and better practice
Prof Diana Kloss, barrister- Fitness for work
- Employment Rights Act 2025, sickness absence and unfair dismissal
- Sick pay and evidence of sickness
- Fitness to attend a disciplinary/capability hearing
- Consent
- Data protection
- Statutory health surveillance
- 16.15
-
Legal Q&A
- 16.30
-
Close of conference
Benefits of attending
You will gain:
- An up-to-the-minute understanding of how the legislation and case law relating to employment medicals and fitness for work impacts on your responsibilities and your day-to-day work. You’ll be certain of your obligations, and how to comply with them
- Insight into the issues affecting fitness to drive and drug and alcohol testing
- An understanding of best practice and evidence-based decisions
PLUS – printed documentation to keep for future reference.
This training is designed for:
- OH and allied health professionals
- HR managers
- Safety professionals
About our expert speakers
Dr John Ballard has been researching and writing on OH and disability issues for over 30 years. He edits The At Work Partnership journal, Occupational Health [at Work]. He is an honorary fellow of the FOM.
Audrey Ludwig is a qualified solicitor and practiced solely on all aspects of equality law for 18 years. Audrey founded the Suffolk Law Centre, and now runs Audrey Ludwig Training and Consulting Ltd, focusing on equality law compliance.
Dr Tony Williams set up Working Fit Ltd, an occupational health consultancy in 2003. He has produced evidence-based guidance for selection and retention to the Fire Service and has developed guidelines for fitness to work after surgery. He has specialist interests in ill-health retirement, pensions and insurance.
Dr Samantha Phillips is an experienced OH physician and accredited specialist in Occupational Medicine. Samantha became the Head of Health and Wellbeing at Transport for London in February 2020. Samantha is also involved in a number of Rail Safety and Standards Board committees and working parties and is on the ALAMA committee.
Dr Amanda Edgeworth
Dr Amanda Edgeworth is the deputy senior DVLA doctor for the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, a post she has held since 2022. Amanda also works as an Urgent Care GP and is a volunteer doctor for cave rescue.
Prof Diana Kloss MBE is a barrister, former employment judge and honorary senior lecturer in OH law at the University of Manchester. Diana is an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, an ACAS arbitrator, and she is honorary president of the Council for Work and Health.
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This highly regarded training day from The At Work Partnership has been running for over 20 years. It has been continuously updated as research emerges and the law changes, and we have advised hundreds of delegates on these issues, over this time!
Book your place today!
