The UOEH International Symposium has become a significant annual event in the field of occupational health and safety. The 2024 symposium, held on November 8-9 at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu, Japan, focused on the theme “AI in Human Factors and Ergonomics: How Should We Apply Disruptive Technologies to Occupational Health?”

This event built upon the success of previous symposiums. In 2023, the symposium addressed the theme of “Digital Occupational Health,” exploring the intersection of technology and workplace health practices. These annual gatherings have consistently provided a platform for leading researchers and practitioners to share insights and advancements in occupational health.

The two days symposium started off with the opening of remarks by Prof. Yoichi Ueta, the President of UOEH, Japan, and congratulation messages by Mr. Yuichiro Funai, Executive National Occupational Health Specialist, Planning Division, Occupational Health and Safety, Department, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan, Dr. Kenichiro Nishi, President of the Association for the Promotion of Occupational and Environmental Health (SANSUIKEN), Japan, and Dr. Toshiaki Higashi, The Special Advisor to Nishinihon Occupational Health Service Center, Senior Advisor to UOEH, Japan.

Prof. Leon Guo, Distinguished Professor, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine and NTU Hospital, Graduate Institute of Environmental and Occupational, Health Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taiwan presented the plenary lecture on “Future Prospect of Occupational and Environmental Health”. This was followed by transition session featuring lectures on various topics, including: Occupational diseases in Indonesia, Doctorate in HFE for Latin America and the Caribbean, Wearable Environmental Health and Digital Mental Health.

On the secondary day, Prof. José Orlando Gomes, President of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), Professor, Graduate Program in Informatics & Polytechnic School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil delivered the keynote address on “AI in Human Factors and Ergonomics -how should we apply the disruptive technologies to occupational health?”
This was followed by symposium presentation on: Potential of AI in Human Factors and Ergonomics, Transforming workplace health and ergonomics through AI, Integration of new technologies in occupational health and safety internship programs, and Generative AI in Occupational Medicine.

Prof Dr Victor Hoe from Universiti Malaya delivered a talk on “Generative AI in Occupational Medicine – Developing GPT for Medical Surveillance.” This presentation discussed the development of a GPT application using ChatGPT 4o to provide recommendations for medical surveillance programs based on Malaysian legislation and guidelines.

He also presented two posters, one with Muhamad Hazizi on “Evaluating the Impact of Active Ergonomic Training on Reducing Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Office Workers” in Malaysia. The research found that active ergonomic training can reduce upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms but does not prevent WRULD incidence among office computer users over twelve months.

The second with Dr. Lim Gim Hui from the National University of Singapore, Dr. Tan Mei Ling from Sengkang General Hospital, and Prof David Koh from both the National University of Singapore and UOEH, on a novel study on the “Use of Generative AI in Peer Review Process for Occupational Health Studies.” This research quantified the effectiveness and efficiency of Generative AI tools in providing feedback on drafts of published occupational health papers. The study found that while Generative AI tools were more time-efficient, human reviewers performed better in understanding context and providing recommendations.

Looking ahead, the occupational health community is invited to participate in the UOEH International Symposium 2025, which will focus on the theme “Inclusive Occupational Health.” This upcoming event promises to continue the tradition of fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange in the ever-evolving field of occupational health and safety.