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

    Occupational Hygiene 1: Chemical Aspects
  • Unit Code

    OHS6144
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Prof Jacques OOSTHUIZEN

Description

This is one of three units specialising in occupational hygiene. In this unit students will gain skills in the identification and assessment of potential risks from a range of chemical hazards in the workplace. These skills are fundamental for practitioners wanting to undertake roles in the field of occupational hygiene. Students are required to utilize and synthesize a range of information sources including scientific literature, legislation, standards and guidelines, when making decisions about the outcomes of a practical workplace assessment. Students will have an opportunity to use a range of the occupational hygiene equipment in the field during the practical workshop.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this unit, attendance to the 3-day on campus workshop is compulsory. Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded HST5144

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the health impacts of chemical hazard exposures against exposure standards and best practice.
  2. Use a range of sampling equipment and monitoring techniques to quantify worker exposures to chemical hazards in the workplace.
  3. Apply critical thinking to evaluate & interpret exposure monitoring results as part of a site monitoring program.
  4. Report exposure monitoring outcomes to a range of audiences.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to Occupational Hygiene
  2. Workplace hazard identification
  3. Workplace Exposure Standards (WESs) and Limits (WELs)
  4. Chemistry for Occupational Hygienists
  5. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals (REACh)
  6. Chemical hazards and their physical states
  7. Basic maths and statistics for Occupational Hygienists
  8. Sampling techniques for airborne exposures
  9. Methods for monitoring dusts
  10. Methods for monitoring gases and vapors

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

WIL - Field Experience

Students experience an environment where they observe and/or participate in the application of theoretical knowledge and skills in a professional setting, under the supervision of an expert or professional in the field. Examples include study tours, observation, shadowing, fieldwork, industry tours.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit offers students the opportunity to engage with certified Occupational Hygienists and various industry professionals to build their professional network.

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 School Progression Panel.

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this Unit, student attendance/participation within listed in-class activities and/or online activities including discussion boards is compulsory. Students failing to meet participation standards as outlined in the unit information may be awarded an I Grade (Fail - incomplete). Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Case StudyIdentification and assessment of airborne contaminants40%
Practicum ^Occupational Hygiene Monitoring Practicum10%
ReportOccupational Hygiene Exposure Assessment Report50%

^ Mandatory to Pass


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.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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