Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE CLS2303

 
TITLE Occupational Health

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Centre for Labour Studies

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit introduces students to a range of occupational health symptoms, illnesses and diseases. It also discusses how a range of factors influence occupational health including: the role of the multidisciplinary team and its contribution to health at work; the impact of shift work on health; the implication of being self-employed; the impact of different industries; functional capacity and rehabilitation.

Study-Unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to:
- Introduce participants to the multidisciplinary team including the medical doctor, nurse, ergonomist, safety officer and employee in industry and their role in collaborating towards recognition of hazards to health.
- Illustrate different illnesses and diseases that may be brought about by occupational hazards, or could be impacted by factors within the workplace including: hearing loss; neurological and behavioural disorders and conditions; eye, nose and skin complaints; common injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and occupational infections.
- Discuss topics such as sickness absence, presenteeism, work incapacity, impairment and disability. To also discuss the influence the multidisciplinary can have on these states.
- Consider how work arrangements can impact upon health including: shift work; self-employment; work within specific industries.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Describe the role of the occupational health department and the different members of the occupational multidisciplinary team, including the medical doctor, nurse, ergonomist, safety officer and employee. Discuss during a final exam their role in collaborating towards the recognition of hazards to health and describing strategies to facilitate this collaboration.
- Evaluate during a final assessment the role of the occupational setting in causing or impacting upon illnesses and diseases and discuss relevant monitoring, surveillance, treatment and occupational measures for the following topics: lung disease; hearing loss; neurological disorders and conditions; behavioural disorders and conditions; eye, nose and skin complaints; common injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and occupational infections.
- Discuss the role and implications of medical ethics.
- Impart understanding of, and ability to discuss how to manage, workers' functional capacity and how this is affected by the workplace during a final assessment.
- Analyse the impact of working arrangements on occupational health, including shift work and self-employment during a final assessment and discuss relevant control measures and interventions.
- Discuss during a final assessment the setting up of health surveillance within specific occupational industries.
- Establish the role of individuals in the maintenance of their own health.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Identify health hazards within specific occupational industries, including work arrangements.
- Contribute towards the development of policies to manage sickness absence and presenteeism, as well as relevant health surveillance programmes.
- Establish functional testing to demonstrate workers capacity to carry out their tasks.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Text:

- Alli, B. (2008). Fundamental Principles of Occupational Health & Safety. Geneva: ILO.

Supplementary Readings:

- Hussein Rassool, G. (1998). Substance Use and Misuse: Nature, Context and Clinical Interventions. U.K.: Blackwell Science.
- Ketcham, K. et al. (2000). Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism. U.K.: Bantam Doubleday, Dell Publishing.
- Palmer, K.T., Brown, I., & Hobson, J. (2013). Fitness for work: the medical aspects. UK: Oxford University Press.
- Smedly, J., Dick, F., & Sadhra, S. (Eds) (2013). Oxford handbook of occupational health. UK: Oxford University Press.
- Tar-Ching, A., Gardiner, K. & Harrington, J.M. (2006). Occupational Health (Pocket consultant) (5th ed). UK: Balckwell Publishing Ltd.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Examination (2 Hours) Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S David Attard
Luke Anthony Fiorini
Stelmart Khalil

 

 
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 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit