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  2. Workplace Health and Safety Law [OHS6130]

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Exercise 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 Health and Safety Law

  • Unit Code

    OHS6130

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    20

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    Online

Description

Occupational health and safety is relevant in every organisation and is directly impacted by a variety of governing bodies and legislative frameworks both on a local and national level. In this unit students are introduced to occupational/workplace health and safety law from a state, national and international perspective. The unit develops the students' skills in applying various occupational/workplace health and safety requirements as a minimum standard and best practice to achieve a safe and healthy workplace.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

This unit is delivered online and as a consequence students wishing to enroll will need to have internet access.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded OHS5130

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply relevant occupational safety and health legislation locally and internationally.
  2. Characterise the major potential areas of compliance and non-compliance to Occupational/Workplace Safety and Health Law in a range of industries.
  3. Critically review the legal framework for occupational health and safety in Australia.
  4. Demonstrate a command of academic skills which includes writing referencing and researching at a postgraduate level.
  5. Demonstrate professional competencies in the use of commonly used business technologies such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
  6. Describe the history of occupational health and safety law in a variety of jurisdictions.
  7. Locate, summarise & use appropriate occupational/workplace health and safety legislation, guidance material codes of practice and other relevant occupational health and safety resources.
  8. Synthesise the factors that have influenced the development of Occupational/Workplace Health and Safety law in Australia.

Unit Content

  1. An overview of the Australian legal framework.
  2. Compliance: Enforcement and penalty.
  3. Compliance: Identifying compliance & noncompliance with occupational/workplace health and safety legislation.
  4. Compliance: Monitoring compliance and performance indicators.
  5. Compliance: Proactive risk management strategies.
  6. Compliance: Safe systems of work.
  7. Introduction to legal concepts.
  8. Local, national and international resources.
  9. Occupational/workplace health and safety in Australia.
  10. Other legislation relevant to occupational/workplace health and safety.
  11. The evolution of occupational health and safety globally.
  12. The new Australian workplace health and safety (WHS) laws.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials and case studies.

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
AssignmentOccupational health and safety law assignment30%
Case StudyLegal issue30%
TestEnd of semester on-line test40%

Text References

  • ^ Dunn, C. E., & Chennell, S. (2012). Australian master work health and safety guide. North Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia.
  • Dunn, C. E. (Ed.). (2011). Planning work, health and safety: An introduction to best practice. North Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia.
  • Walters, D., & Nichols, T. (2009). Workplace health and safety: International perspectives on worker representation. [eBook]. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • SafeWork Australia. (2011). Guide to the model work health and safety regulations. Canberra, ACT: SafeWork Australia.
  • Quinlan, M., Bohle, P. A., & Lamm, F. (2010). Managing occupational health and safety: a multi disciplinary approach (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Macmillan.

Journal References

  • Journal of health and safety research and practice
  • Journal of health, safety and environment

Website References

^ Mandatory reference

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.

OHS6130|2|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Exercise 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 Health and Safety Law

  • Unit Code

    OHS6130

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    20

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    Online

Description

Occupational health and safety is relevant in every organisation and is directly impacted by a variety of governing bodies and legislative frameworks both on a local and national level. In this unit, students are introduced to occupational/workplace health and safety law from a state, national and international perspective. The unit develops the students' skills in applying various occupational/workplace health and safety requirements as a minimum standard and best practice to achieve a safe and healthy workplace.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

This unit is delivered online and as a consequence students wishing to enroll will need to have internet access.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded OHS5130

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply relevant occupational safety and health legislation locally and internationally.
  2. Characterise the major potential areas of compliance and non-compliance to Occupational/Workplace Safety and Health Law in a range of industries.
  3. Critically review the legal framework for occupational health and safety in Australia.
  4. Demonstrate a command of academic skills which includes writing referencing and researching at a postgraduate level.
  5. Demonstrate professional competencies in the use of commonly used business technologies such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
  6. Describe the history of occupational health and safety law in a variety of jurisdictions.
  7. Locate, summarise & use appropriate occupational/workplace health and safety legislation, guidance material codes of practice and other relevant occupational health and safety resources.
  8. Synthesise the factors that have influenced the development of Occupational/Workplace Health and Safety law in Australia.

Unit Content

  1. An overview of the Australian legal framework.
  2. Compliance: Enforcement and penalty.
  3. Compliance: Identifying compliance & noncompliance with occupational/workplace health and safety legislation.
  4. Compliance: Monitoring compliance and performance indicators.
  5. Compliance: Proactive risk management strategies.
  6. Compliance: Safe systems of work.
  7. Introduction to legal concepts.
  8. Local, national and international resources.
  9. Occupational/workplace health and safety in Australia.
  10. Other legislation relevant to occupational/workplace health and safety.
  11. The evolution of occupational health and safety globally.
  12. The new Australian workplace health and safety (WHS) laws.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Learning modules, online tutorials, self-paced activities and case studies.

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
EssayHistory of WHS Laws30%
PresentationWHS Legal Compliance30%
TestEnd of semester online test40%

Text References

  • ^ Archer, R., Borthwick, K., Travers, M., & Ruschena, L. (2015). WHS: A management guide (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia.
  • ^ Dunn, C. E., & Chennell, S. (2012). Australian master work health and safety guide. North Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia.
  • Dunn, C. E. (Ed.). (2011). Planning work, health and safety: An introduction to best practice. North Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia.
  • Johnstone, R., Bluff, E., & Clayton, A. (2014). Work health and safety law and policy (3rd ed). Pyrmont, NSW: Lawbook Co. 
  • Richardson, K. (2014). Work health and safety. Pyrmont, NSW: Lawbook Co.

Website References

^ Mandatory reference

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.

OHS6130|2|2