School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Workplace Hazards
  • Unit Code

    OHS6107
  • Year

    2018
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Sue REED

Description

This unit introduces students to a range of work related hazards and their potential adverse impacts on the health of workers. Students will cover a range of hazards to which an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professional needs to be aware. A number of tools that may be used to assess the extent of the risk of exposure to chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological hazards will be covered.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

On-line delivery of modules and utilising case studies and discussion boards.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Identify and classify hazards according to the type (chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological) and assess when a hazard becomes a risk to humans, plant, organisation and/or the environment.
  2. Evaluate the potential health impacts associated with exposures to a range of chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological agents.
  3. Propose control strategies, including principles of safe design to reduce the risk from exposures to a range of workplace hazards.
  4. Communicate using professional and academic writing and research skills at a postgraduate level.

Unit Content

  1. Hazard as a concept.
  2. Basic engineering principles of safe design.
  3. Design and control requirements for reducing risks from mechanical, fixed plant and mobile plant.
  4. Issues relating to gravitational hazards (people and things falling from heights), slips and trips and electrical hazards.
  5. Chemical safety including dangerous goods and Safety Data Sheets.
  6. Physical hazard: Noise.
  7. Physical hazard: Thermal.
  8. Biomechanical hazards including introduction to ergonomics.
  9. Psychosocial hazards
  10. Introduction to biological hazards such as viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This is an off-campus unit and therefore the majority of the contact will be via interaction on-line. Key study material and readings will be set for each topic and a threaded discussion will take place between students with the teaching staff. Teaching will centre on a problem-solving approach.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewReview of the literature relating to an occupational hazard30%
AssignmentWorkplace Hazard Briefing Note30%
TestOccupational hazards exam (end of semester)40%

Core Reading(s)

  • Reed, S., Pisaniello, D., Benke, G., & Burton, K. (2013). Principles of occupational health & hygiene : an introduction (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
  • Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Leo, R. (2017). WHS : a management guide 5th Ed. WHS : A Management Guide (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
  • Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Ruschena, L. (2014). WHS : a management guide. (4 th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

OHS6107|3|1

School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Workplace Hazards
  • Unit Code

    OHS6107
  • Year

    2018
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Sue REED

Description

This unit introduces students to a range of work related hazards and their potential adverse impacts on the health of workers. Students will cover a range of hazards to which an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professional needs to be aware. A number of tools that may be used to assess the extent of the risk of exposure to chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological hazards will be covered.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

On-line delivery of modules and utilising case studies and discussion boards.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Identify and classify hazards according to the type (chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological) and assess when a hazard becomes a risk to humans, plant, organisation and/or the environment.
  2. Evaluate the potential health impacts associated with exposures to a range of chemical, physical, gravitational, plant, electrical, biomechanical, psychological and biological agents.
  3. Propose control strategies, including principles of safe design to reduce the risk from exposures to a range of workplace hazards.
  4. Communicate using professional and academic writing and research skills at a postgraduate level.

Unit Content

  1. Hazard as a concept.
  2. Basic engineering principles of safe design.
  3. Design and control requirements for reducing risks from mechanical, fixed plant and mobile plant.
  4. Issues relating to gravitational hazards (people and things falling from heights), slips and trips and electrical hazards.
  5. Chemical safety including dangerous goods and Safety Data Sheets.
  6. Physical hazard: Noise.
  7. Physical hazard: Thermal.
  8. Biomechanical hazards including introduction to ergonomics.
  9. Psychosocial hazards
  10. Introduction to biological hazards such as viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This is an off-campus unit and therefore the majority of the contact will be via interaction on-line. Key study material and readings will be set for each topic and a threaded discussion will take place between students with the teaching staff. Teaching will centre on a problem-solving approach.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentWorkplace Hazard Briefing Note on a Specific Occupational Safety Hazard30%
PresentationToolbox Talk on a specific occupational health hazard30%
TestOccupational hazards test (end of semester)40%

Core Reading(s)

  • Reed, S., Pisaniello, D., Benke, G., & Burton, K. (2013). Principles of occupational health & hygiene : an introduction (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
  • Reed, S., Pisaniello, D., Benke, G., & Burton, K. (2013). Principles of occupational health & hygiene : an introduction (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
  • Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Leo, R. (2017). WHS : a management guide 5th Ed. WHS : A Management Guide (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
  • Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Leo, R. (2017). WHS : a management guide 5th Ed. WHS : A Management Guide (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
  • Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Ruschena, L. (2014). WHS : a management guide. (4 th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

OHS6107|3|2