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Physical Hazards in the Occupational Environment
Undergraduate | ACU-OHSE321 | 2022
Course information for 2022 intake
Get to grips with the risk management process, as you learn to apply the theory to real-world scenarios. Deal with threats including hazardous chemicals, infectious agents, and asbestos. Understand how to identify, analyse and respond to hazards.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
FEE-HELP available
Physical Hazards in the Occupational Environment
About this subject
Upon completion of this subject students should be able to:
- examine how specific OHSE hazards lead to adverse effects on health, safety, environment and have a negative impact on human dignity and human life
- apply ethical decision making in choosing appropriate risk assessment methods to apply to specific OHSE hazards to determine level of risk
- distinguish and analyse basic interventions to control the risk associated with specific hazards with reference to OHSE legislation and standards
- evaluate, identify, and scope the type and nature of occupational hazards at the industry level
- recommend strategies to peers and key workplace stakeholders using appropriate OHS information, data, and communication skills
- Introduction to the physical hazards’ exposure and ethical and legal frameworks
- Risk management: thermal comfort
- Risk management: hazardous chemicals
- Risk management: biomechanical
- Risk management: psychosocial
- Risk management: infectious agents
- Risk management: electricity
- Risk management: occupational driving
- Risk management: working at heights
- Risk management: mobile plant
- Risk management: asbestos
- Risk management: construction
- Trends in managing physical hazards’ exposure
This subject introduces students to basic theory and practice of risk management applied to specific hazards that OHSE professionals typically encounter in promoting human dignity in a diverse range of occupational locations. Hazards covered include thermal comfort, hazardous chemicals, biomechanical and psychosocial hazards, infectious agents, electricity, occupational driving, working at heights, mobile plant, asbestos, and construction related hazards. This unit aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to identify, analysis and manage a range of OHSE risk exposures within the legislative and organisational context so they can apply best OHSE practice in a professional and ethical manner.
Three assessment items are required in this unit. The first, based around online discussion, requires students to combine their own views and experiences with research from the academic literature while considering and responding to views expressed or questions posed by other students. The second is video recorded tool-box talk concerned with the management of an OHSE risk exposure related to the Unit content. The third assessment item requires students to draw on the content and models covered in this unit, as well as relevant academic and industry-based literature, as a means of critically preparing a detailed risk management report, applying specialist risk analysis techniques to a nominated hazard.
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. The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome.- Risk Management Report (40%)
- Online exam (35%)
- Short answer quizzes (25%)
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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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 34
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 29
Entry requirements
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
one of
ACU-OHSE201-Introduction to OHS (no longer available)
ACU-OHS201 (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-OHS321 (Not currently available)
ACU-OHS201 (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.
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