| CODE | CLS1308 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Health Promotion at Work and Ergonomics | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Labour Studies | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Study-Unit Objectives: This study-unit is meant to facilitate an understanding of the concept of health and its determinants; as well as the concept of health promotion and its practical applications. Participants will be encouraged to cooperate with company medical doctors in the application of the principles of health promotion to specific workplaces. It sets out to create an awareness of ergonomics, its usefulness in improving human performance and in contributing to occupational health and safety; and the requirements for its effective and efficient application. It builds on an understanding of human characteristics, anthropometry and design features. It proposes to identify activities and tools likely to cause injury, and in different situations. It goes on to identify practical solutions for improving working conditions. The study-unit concentrates on the practical aspects of OHS and on the proper approach to the scrutiny and risk assessment of a working environment. It includes guided and structured site visits. Students are expected to adopt a trained and critical eye to the visited working milieu. The study-unit seeks to review recent developments in OHS practice, research and equipment. It also incorporate H&S audit training. The study-unit utilises health and safety officers who have completed the OHS Diploma in previous years as organisers of each of the site visits. A. Themes for Health Promotion - Defining Health; Health Determinants; Holistic Concept Investment for Health; Health Promotion versus Health Education. - The bio-psycho-social model of health promotion. - WHO/EURO; Ottawa Charter and its value. - The challenge of health promotion in Malta: a situational analysis. Who is doing what? How is this done? Developing partnerships and support; political implications; campaign development; personalising the challenge. - Role of Communication in Health Promotion. Campaigning for Health Promotion: Methods and Objectives; the Media. - Identifying Health Promotion needs in relation to specific Interventions: situation analysis; community needs. - Health Promotion in the Workplace: Lifestyle and Health risks at Work. Biological and genetic factors; smoking; exercise; nutrition and fitness; alcohol; sexual practices; sleep; stress; marital status; colour and race – their relationship to workers and workplace hazards. - Prevalence of Substance Abuse; Origins and Biology of Addictive Behaviour; Community based sanctions focussing on substance misuse; Ethical and societal considerations; inventory of drugs of abuse and their effects; signs, symptoms, basic facts and effects of alcohol and other drugs; policies and strategies in substance abuse. - Creating Services to help people change: Prochaska and DiClemente Model for Change; Tobacco; Overweight; GU Clinic; Health Education Initiatives. - Rehabilitation. - Relevant Legislation and regulation pertaining to Health Promotion at Work. Key Study Assignments: (i) Activities in the health system directed towards health promotion; (ii) Planning health promotion programs; (iii) Assessment and evaluation of health promotion programs; (iv) Substance abuse and rehabilitation. B: Themes for Ergonomics - Ergonomics, performance and OHS. - Human performance engineering within systems. Human limits and differences. - Human sensing, bodily characteristics, and cognitive processing. - Environmental causes of musculo-skeletal disorders and identification. - Risk management approach to ergonomics. - Work design and physical/mental workloads. - Workplace and work environment. - Workstation design (including computer workstations). - Heavy manual work (lifting, pushing, pulling). - Equipment and controls ergonomics. - Relevant Legislation and regulation pertaining to Ergonomics. Key Study Assignments: (i) Exercises in Anthropometry; (ii) Problems in Physical Load & disorders; (iii) Field work study; (iv) Group Problem Solving Exercise. C: Themes for Current Issues in OHS - Potential Worksites to be visited include: the University of Malta Campus at Tal-Qroqq; various types of manufacturing industry; internal (office) and external environments of GO (previously Maltacom plc); Malta Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Marsa; EneMalta Power Station, Delimara; and Water Table Station of the Water Services Corporation at Ta’ Kandja. - Programmable electronic Systems. - The Integrity of Materials. - Work site Visits and methodology of reporting. - Current National and International Issues. Key Study Assignments: (i) Report on site visits; (ii) Self-assessment Exercises. Study-Unit Readings: Bailey, R. W. (1998). Human Performance Engineering: A Guide for Systems Engineers. New York: Prentice-Hall. (Chapters 1-12, 17, 22). Barnes, R. M. (1980). Motion and Time Study: Design and Measurement of Work. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. (Chapters 33, 38 – 42). ENV 26 385/ISO 6385 - Ergonomics Design Standard. Ewles, L. & Simnett, I. (2010). Promoting Health: A Practical Guide. Edinburgh: Ballierre Tindall. International Labour Organisation (1999). Management of alcohol- and drug- related issues in the workplace. Geneva: ILO. Swedish National Board of Occupational Safety and Health (1998) Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musuloskeletal Disorders. Statute Book AFS 1998:1. World Health Organisation (1988) The Ottawa Charter. Geneva: WHO. World Health Organisation (2000) The Verona Challenge. Geneva: WHO. World Health Organisation (2003) Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Workplace. Geneva: WHO. Weblink: http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/oehmsd3.pdf Zucconi et al ISPESIL-IACP (2003) Health Promotion at the Workplace. Internet Web Sites: www.ergonomics.org.uk (Ergonomics Society) www.hse.gov.uk/hthdir/noframes/musculo/ (H & S Executive, UK) www.interface-analysis.com/ergoworld/office.html (office ergonomics) www.cdc.gov (NIOSH) iforms.osha-slc.gov (OHSA) http://www.iienet2.org/Default.aspx www.ergoweb.com www.pc.ibm.com/ww/healthycomputing/we-wo.html (computer applications) |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Luke Anthony Fiorini Maryanne Massa |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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