Dr Pujitha Silva - An Injury Litigation Data Project

Sharon Todd chats to Dr Puji Silva a mechanical and medical engineer about his work and research into litigation injury data. Puji primarily works in ergonomic risk assessments and litigation matters related to permanent injury in both workplace and public liability cases, applying his expertise in biomechanics, human factors, and safety design principles to improve workplace outcomes and legal evaluations.Dr. Pujitha Silva is a mechanical and medical engineer with extensive experience in human biomechanics, ergonomics, and injury prevention. His career spans over 15 years across industries such as healthcare, bulk material systems handling, wearable technology applications in sports and rehabilitation, and biomedical device development, where he has applied ergonomic principles and human factors research to optimize workplace safety and system performance. He is also a litigation consultant, researcher, and certified organizational coach, with a deep interest in the intersection of ergonomics, injury data analysis, and workplace safety strategies. Dr. Silva is currently an Ergonomics Consultant where he specializes in:Ergonomic risk assessments & workplace safety solutions to mitigate musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and prevent injuries.Expert litigation reports for workplace injuries (manual handling, slips/trips/falls, and system failures).Implementation of Work Health and Safety (WHS) compliance strategies in Victoria and NSW.Developing human-centered design solutions to enhance safety in industrial and commercial environments.Data-driven research on injury trends, including a landmark 40-year analysis of litigation injury cases, presented at the HFESA 2024 National Conference.The pursuit of a Bachelor’s in Medical Engineering was the start of Puji’s journey into understanding how the human body works and how it can be studied using engineering principles borrowed from various disciplines, differently from traditional medical approaches. This curiosity led him to the study of biomechanics, particularly focusing on the interactions of soft and hard tissues, their degeneration, and injury mechanisms. His early research included intervertebral disc mechanics and non-invasive spinal stress measurement, providing insights into how biomechanical factors influence injury risk and degeneration. However, his career took a turn when he transitioned into port and infrastructure engineering, focusing on mechanical system design. This work introduced him to the critical interactions between machines and people, deepening his understanding of industrial safety and human-system integration.This shift broadened his perspective on human factors and ergonomics, leading him to focus on performance-based biomechanics, which naturally incorporated human interactions with the environment—spanning industrial ergonomics, sports performance, rehabilitation, and biomedical device development and commercialization with a human-centric approach.This podcast is brought to you by the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society of Australia. If you like this podcast please make us your favourite on your podcast app. If you want to find out more about Human Factors and Ergonomics or if you have a question about this podcast please go to the HFESA website ergonomics.org.au and make your request via our contact page. DISCLAIMER Please find our full disclaimer at: www.ergonomics.org.au/term-conditions/This content is for informational purposes only, does not constitute advice and should not be considered as a replacement for professional judgment in clinical, research, academic, or other expert fields. Views expressed by speakers and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the view of HFESA. HFESA makes no guarantees and accepts no liability in connection with the accuracy and currency of this content and does not endorse any specific service, publication or entity mentioned. Unauthorised reproduction, distribution, duplication, modification, or exploitation of this podcast content is strictly prohibited. You are  prohibited from recording, copying, or storing content for commercial purposes, using automated processes to extract or collect content, creating derivative works from the content, or using content for artifici...