Enrolments for 2022 have closed.
OHSE Law in Practice
Postgraduate | ACU-OHSE604 | 2022
Course information for 2022 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Shape your understanding of how OHSE law operates.Question the fundamentals of common law, judicial precedent and the legal system. See where these concepts cross into the domain of work health and safety. Identify breaches of OHSE legislation.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
FEE-HELP available
OHSE Law in Practice
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject the student should be able to:
- Evaluate the Australian OHSE legal framework and assess its legislative instruments (GA4, GA5).
- Interpret the functions, provisions and key terms of the Australian Model Work Health and Safety laws and their applicability in various organisational and jurisdictional contexts..
- Forensically analyse sources of legal precedence/case law and critically determine how these might impact on the OHSE practices of the organisation or individuals while recognising their responsibility to workers’ rights and their dignity at the workplace, the environment and society.
- Identify and critically determine possible breaches of OHSE legislation and effectively communicate sustainable recommendations and other relevant technologies to organisational stakeholders to address such breaches
- Finding, reading and applying case law and legislation using law databases, legal citation and definitions
- The Australian Legal System In Practice: Statutes and Common Law, legal Precedent and Statutory Interpretation
- The development of the WHS laws, the context of duty of care with the tort of negligence harmonisation, synergies with environmental law. Maintaining currency with OHSE law
- Overview of WHS Act and Regulation and Environmental Legal Framework
- Health and safety duties in practice
- Duty to consult and provide training
- Health and safety representatives and designated work groups
- Authorizations and licensing
- Offences and penalties
- Regulation and enforcement
- Jurisdictional issues (Other relevant jurisdictions for OHSE practice (Electrical Safety, Mining Safety, Maritime Safety, Explosives etc, Interface with Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Law as it applies to OHS practice, Interface with Public Safety, EEO and Discrimination Law as it applies to OHS practice)
This unit covers the Australian legal system, including the fundamental concepts of common law; the doctrine of judicial precedent, statutory Interpretation, law making processes and court systems. It covers the constitutional separation of powers for the Commonwealth and State and Territory jurisdictions and how the state-based Work Health and Safety and Environment laws function in the wider legal system.
Three assessment items are required in this Unit. To pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%.
- Online Discussion (25%)
- Case Analysis Report (40%)
- Evidence Investigations Report (35%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- ACU-OHS-GDI-2022 - Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management
- ACU-OHS-MAS-2022 - Master of Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Management
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
one of
- ACU-OHSE601-Principles of OHSE Management
ACU-OHS601 (Not currently available)
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
ACU-OHS604 (Not currently available)
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
PostgraduateACU-OHS-GDI
Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management
PostgraduateACU-OHS-MAS
Master of Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Management