Course - Occupational Health and Safety - TIØ4186
Occupational Health and Safety
About
About the course
Course content
Preventive Occupational Health Work is the Key to Good Working Conditions. This course focuses on how enterprises can prevent diseases that may lead to work-related fatalities, disability, and reduced quality of life. It provides background and an introduction to challenges related to chemicals, dust, indoor climate, noise, and vibrations in the workplace, including how to analyze and assess occupational exposures in these areas.
Risk assessments within occupational health vary across disciplines, and similarities and differences will be discussed. To understand the breadth of these challenges, the course also introduces topics such as ergonomics, psychosocial, and organizational work environment.
The course aims to provide knowledge about responsibilities and roles in enterprises’ occupational health efforts, as well as relevant occupational health legislation in Norway.
The contents of the course are in particular relevant to UN's Sustainable Development Goals SDG 3 about om Good health and well-being (target 3.9: By 2030 substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination) and SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth (target 8.8 promote safe and secure working environment for all workers)
Learning outcome
This course should be viewed in connection with TIØ43571 Occupational Hygiene and TIØ4205 Methods and Tools in Safety Management. TIØ4186 provides an overarching understanding of occupational health efforts in Norwegian workplaces, with a particular focus on physical work environment factors such as noise, vibration, and indoor climate. It also introduces chemical exposure and methods for risk assessment. TIØ43571 offers in-depth knowledge of chemical work environment factors and methods for occupational hygiene assessments.TIØ4205 provides knowledge of recognized methods, tools, rules, and procedures (standards) for safety work in enterprises, with emphasis on preventing workplace accidents.TIØ4186 is mandatory for the master’s programs MIHMS and MHMS
Knowledge
After completing the course, students should be able to:
- Explain the principles of systematic occupational health work. Understand the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in Norwegian working life and account for the occupational health regulations companies must comply with.
- Identify, map, and assess health risks caused by noise and vibrations in the workplace and explain how measures should be prioritized to reduce health risks.
- Explain why and how indoor climate affects workers and communicate how good indoor air quality can be achieved.
- Explain the principles of how exposure to chemicals/dust affects health and know several methods for handling chemicals safely in practice.
- Explain various methods for risk assessment of physical and chemical factors in the workplace, including discussing which methods are suitable in different situations.
Skills
After completing the course, participants should be able to:
- Conduct a survey of the physical work environment at a workplace and critically evaluate the results.
- Apply and assess different risk assessment methods adapted to various work environment factors.
Learning methods and activities
Lectures, laboratory exercises, and term paper.
Compulsory assignments
- Lab exercises
Further on evaluation
The sub assignments consist of group assignment and a school exam. Written final exam counts 60% and the group assignment counts 40 %. Both partial assessments must be passed in order to get a grade in the course.
The course has compulsory group-based laboratory exercises with submission of assignment for each exercise. The evaluation of all exercises must be answered jointly by the whole group and are evaluated as approved/not approved. All assignments must be approved.
If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may be changed from written to oral. For a re-take of the course, if already passed, all assessments must be re-taken. Approved exercises do not need to be repeated.
Specific conditions
Admission to a programme of study is required:
Industrial Economics and Technology Management (MTIØT)
Sustainability, Work Environment and Safety Management (MHMS)
Sustainability, Work Environment and Safety Management (MIHMS)
Recommended previous knowledge
No specific requirements.
This is an mandatory introductory course in the 1st year of the 2-year master programs MIHMS and MHMS.
Required previous knowledge
No specific requirements.
Course materials
Announced at the beginning of the course.
Subject areas
- Industrial Economics and Technology Management
- Health, Environment and Safety
- Technological subjects
Contact information
Course coordinator
Lecturers
Department with academic responsibility
Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management