PUBH 3020 Work Health and Safety

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 200861

Coordinator Terri Mylett Opens in new window

Description Work Health and Safety introduces participants to work health and safety concepts, terminology, legal frameworks and research sources. It includes practical activities around hazard identification and risk assessment. The many academic disciplines that contribute to work health and safety policy and practice will be critiqued: from epidemiology to engineering to ergonomics to employment relations. Ideologies that shape how workers, managers and organisations approach work health and safety will be examined, particularly via the notion of safety culture. This subject is designed for participants from all academic programs. Successful completion means being able to engage critically and practically in work health and safety challenges in multiple contexts, with competing stakeholder interests in mind.

School Business

Discipline Occupational Health and Safety

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Equivalent Subjects LGYA 9851 - Occupational Health and Safety PUBH 3015 - Occupational Health and Safety BUSM 3049 - Occupational Health and Safety

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Explain how key work health and safety concepts may be applied to workplaces, organisations and society.
  2. Explain the role and interests of employers, workers, representatives, inspectorates, and professional/technical experts in identifying, assessing and managing risk.
  3. Investigate information pertaining to identifying, assessing and managing risk in ways that are legally compliant.
  4. Describe significant aspects of contemporary work health and safety regulation via legislation and Codes of Practice.
  5. Provide reasoned arguments in the area of contemporary work health and safety management in terms of risk assessment and hazard control that take account of stakeholder interests.

Subject Content

1. The importance of work health and safety and stakeholder Interests.
2. Causes of adverse events and losses.
3. Hazard identification, risk assessment and work health and safety management systems.
4. Ideologies, blame, and systems approaches.
5. Multidisciplinary contributions to work health and safety.
6. Psychosocial hazards and health.
7. Worker participation and industrial relations.
8. The legal framework.
9. Key features of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW).
10. Safety culture.

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Type Length Percent Threshold Individual/Group Task
Essay 1800 words 30 N Individual
Quiz 100 words 10 N Individual
Peer Review 300 words 10 N Individual
Professional Task 800 words/5 minutes synchronous feedback session or asynchronous feedback vodcast S/U N Individual
Final Exam 2 hours 50 Y Individual

Prescribed Texts

  • Archer, R, Borthwick, K, Travers, M & Ruschena, L 2015 WHS: A management guide, 4th edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne.

Teaching Periods

Spring (2023)

Online

Online

Subject Contact Terri Mylett Opens in new window

View timetable Opens in new window

Spring (2024)

Online

Online

Subject Contact Terri Mylett Opens in new window

View timetable Opens in new window