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Safety in
the Age of
Automation
CSG April 2017 Presenter: Mark Letman, Safety & Wellbeing Business Lead, Pacific Brands

Safety in the age of automation

Presentation by: Mark Letman, Safety & Wellbeing Business Lead, Pacific Brands

Presentation package now available (members only)

Automation is rapidly affecting everything from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors to the healthcare industry. An insight into what automation can mean for safety procedures and related workplace arrangements was given by Mark Letman of Pacific Brands on 11 April. Pacific Brands, which manufactures and sells products that include Bonds underwear and Sheriden sheets, recently automated some of the key procedures for picking and packing orders in its 43,000 square metre national warehouse in Truganina. Mark’s experience is that the move to automation has had some positive effects on working conditions “The automation’s taken away a lot of the hard slog and legwork in the warehouse, and it’s become a joint activity between employees and the machine,” he says. However, it has also brought challenges in introducing employees to new work practices. This includes safety requirements when working with machines for the first time.

The presenter:

Mark Letman joined Pacific Brands 27 years ago and has worked in logistics, freight management, manufacturing and management roles. He started working in safety 12 years ago, after his interest in the field was stirred by his experience as a member of the site’s emergency response team.

 
 

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MSD Risks
- a New
Approach

CSG March 2026 event - Presenter Jodi Oakman, Head of the Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University - MSD risks – a new approach


MSD risks – a new approach

Presented by: Professor Jodi Oakman, Head of the Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, La Trobe University

How: CSG Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom only

Date: Tuesday 10 March 2026, noon
Non-Members welcome to attend

The APHIRM toolkit –a tool to manage MSDs and stress-related mental health
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for more than 50% of workplace injuries and diseases, and are among the most expensive and prolonged work-related compensation claims. A pioneering approach to reducing MSDs and stress-related mental health has been developed by Professor Jodi Oakman and colleagues at La Trobe University.
Join us for an interactive Zoom session with Professor Oakman on 10 March exploring the APHIRM Toolkit. APHIRM stands for A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management and the free online toolkit guides workplaces through the process of identifying, assessing and controlling physical and psychosocial hazards (www.aphirm.org.au).
An evidence-based system, it addresses risks from both types of hazards that, Jodi says, offers a comprehensive approach for managing workplace MSDs. Significantly, it also involves the participation of workers.
The presentation will be followed by questions and a discussion session.

About the Speaker:

Jodi Oakman is a Professor and head of the Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors at La Trobe University. Her background is a mix of industry and academia, across a range of industry sectors including health, manufacturing and logistics.
She joined the teaching staff of La Trobe University 20 years ago after working as a corporate ergonomist, initially with Ford, and then as a consultant. Her initial degree was in physiotherapy, followed by a Master’s degree in ergonomics, and a Doctorate on the influence of an organisation on employees' retirement intentions.
Her current research projects include developing a model of sustainable work to facilitate longer working lives, and using evidence to guide risk managements in organisations to reduce the risks of stress and MSDs.

Date: Tuesday 10 March 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
How: Online via Zoom only - the link will be sent out on the afternoon of the Monday preceding the event
N.B. A video recording of the session will be available on the website exclusively for financial members.
Cost: Financial members* free. Others $15
RSVP: COB Monday 9 March 2026. Online using our RSVP form
Join: Join CSG now [Individual membership fee: $85.]
*If unsure of your membership status, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
   RSVP: by Monday 9 March.
Online using our RSVP form or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., phone the secretary T: (03) 9387 9768 Mobile 0417 040 252
The Zoom event link will be emailed on the afternoon of Monday 9 March.

Don’t forget to put every second Tuesday from February to December in your Calendar!

 

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