Physical Hazards in Occupational Environments
PostgraduateACU-OHSE6032023
Course information for 2023 intake
Investigate physical hazards in the workplace and address approaches for dealing with them. On your checklist are chemicals, asbestos, noise, electricity and confined spaces. You’ll assess risk levels and compile strategies and intervention methods.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Physical Hazards in Occupational Environments
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject students should be able to:
- Evaluate specific physical hazards encountered in workplaces by assessing how these OHSE hazards lead to adverse effects that affect the common good, particularly on health, safety and environment through critical review of academic literature.
- Use OHSE hazard specific tools and methods to determine level of risk
- Critique basic interventions and strategies to control the risk associated with specific hazards with reference to OHSE legislation, standards and literature
- Recommend control measures to peers and key workplace stakeholders using appropriate OHS information, data, and communication skills
- A model of OHSE risk management
- Risk management and the common good
- Risk management: thermal comfort
- Risk management: hazardous chemicals
- Risk management: confined spaces
- Risk management: infectious agents
- Risk management: asbestos
- Risk management: electricity
- Risk management: airborne contaminants
- Risk management: environmental conformance
- Risk management: waste management
- Risk management: noise
- Risk management: plant/mobile plant
Knowledge of specific physical hazards encountered in workplaces as well as skills in determining associated risk exposure and harm reduction, are critical components of OHSE professional practice and their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society. In this unit students will learn how exposure to hazards such as noise, thermal comfort, hazardous chemicals, confined spaces, infectious agents, asbestos, electricity, plant, and hazardous wastes may impact workers' and others' health, and the environment.
Three assessment items are required in this Unit. In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall mark of at least 50% and must make an attempt at all three assessment items.
- Risk Management Report (40%)
- Online Discussion (25%)
- Online Discussion (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.
Learn more about ACU.
Explore ACU courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 35
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 26
Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
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-OHS603 (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.