Graduate Diploma - Occupational Health and Safety (GD052P13) (107035M)

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) refers to the application of scientific principles to understand the risks to the safety and health of people in workplaces and to take action to control these. Occupational health and safety is a multidisciplinary profession examining the technical and social aspects of work with applications in most industries and commerce.

The course focuses on the science and technology of risk management through assessment and evaluation of hazards and development of specific control mechanisms. Students will learn how to apply a risk management model to hazards in the workplace, allowing them to recognize the context, evaluate the risk, and generate control solutions. They will use the model of OHS Professional Practice for problem solving which involves gathering information about the issue, diagnosing the issue, developing and implementing appropriate interventions, and evaluating their effectiveness, all the while communicating with relevant stakeholders.

Students will develop advanced knowledge in: • The global concepts of health, safety and work, and the implications that these have in organisations • The socio-political and organisational context in which work occurs and how this impacts work design and its effects on the workers • The physical, ergonomic and psychosocial causes of fatalities, injuries and ill health arising from work • Recognition of hazards, assessment and evaluation of their risk, and development of suitable controls

Students will learn to apply these concepts in a range of contexts, allowing them to develop confidence and proficiency in their professional OHS and occupational hygiene practice. Many of their assessments will incorporate Work Integrated Learning (WIL) by focusing on OHS issues in their work situation.