| CODE | HPN2001 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Health, Safety and Hygiene Throughout the Lifecycle | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Health, Physical Education and Consumer Studies | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces participants to the importance of providing environments which are hygienic, safe and conducive to good health for babies, children, adolescents, adults and seniors. These environments include mainly the home, childcare centres, schools, places of entertainment, workplaces, outdoor areas namely playgrounds, roads and care homes for the elderly. Statutory and regulatory arrangements covering safety in the above mentioned places will be explored, together with principles of risk assessment that can be applied in different settings, with particular reference to Food rooms and textiles labs, being the two work settings which are the most closely related to Home Economics. The unit also aims at introducing students to knowledge related to the most common childhood illnesses and their prevention, immunization for both children and adults, sexually transmitted infections and other infections such as hepatitis, as well as common signs and symptoms of conditions and illnesses that are usually associated with older adults or seniors. Finally the unit aims at familiarizing the students with the concept of combustion and fire, fire spread and control, as well as standard evacuation procedures in case of fire, bomb threats and earthquakes. Study-Unit Aims: This unit aims at introducing students to the various non-statutory, statutory and regulatory provisions that can be applied in various settings in order to provide a healthy, safe and hygienic environment for different family members at different stages of the lifecycle. This unit also aims to help students explore how these provisions can be made in the different settings which babies, children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens are normally engaged in. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify the basic stages development and health status of people at different stages of the lifecycle and the implications these have for health, safety and hygiene provisions; - Identify accidents that commonly occur at different ages through statistical analysis and suggest preventive measures; - Discuss the importance of recording accidents and incidents in schools, workplaces and other institutions; - Discuss the importance of safe storage and administration of medicines; - Give reasons for the importance of good hygiene practices, including principles of cross-infection, waste disposal and food-handling; - Analyse statutory and regulatory arrangements covering food safety and food hygiene; - Outline the basic principles of combustion, fire spread and control; - Distinguish between emergency procedures in different settings, namely in the event of fire, bomb threats and earthquakes. Babies and children: - Analyse statutory and regulatory arrangements covering health, safety and hygiene for babies and children in childcare centres and schools, to include school outings; - Analyse regulatory arrangements covering health, safety and/or hygiene in playgrounds, on the roads and at sea; - Describe, after conducting online research, signs and symptoms of common childhood illnesses and allergies, including meningitis and septicaemia and discuss the importance of immunization for children and adults. Adolescents and adults: - Discuss regulations which establish the maintenance of good order at places of entertainment in Malta, tobacco and alcohol control, substance abuse, and their implications for different family members; - Identify principles and models of risk assessment that can be applied in different settings, with particular reference to workplaces related to Home Economics, namely Food rooms or labs, and Textile workplaces and laboratories; - Discuss the importance of immunization for adults; - Identify, after conducting online research, signs and symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Infections and hepatitis; - Report, after conducting research, signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, hypoglycaemia, stroke, angina, heart attack, hypothermia, and other common conditions in adults and seniors. Elderly: - Discuss in groups, the National Minimum Standards for Care homes for older people; - Identify different assistive devices aimed at keeping seniors and other persons living independently and safely within their homes and discuss their importance. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Present an audiovisual presentation containing information on signs and symptoms of the different childhood illnesses and the Maltese immunization schedule, or signs and symptoms of illnesses and conditions that are common in adults and seniors; - Investigate, through analysis of online data, the basic trends and epidemiological features of the most commonly sexually transmitted infections in Malta; - Explain the series of steps involved in an emergency evacuation in the event of fire, bomb threats and earthquakes suitable for a Home Economics related workplace; - Prepare a leaflet aimed at informing the general public and different family members on arrangements that need to be made in one of the following places, namely childcare centres, schools, workplaces, roads and the sea to ensure health, safety and/or hygiene for different family members; - Carry out a mini-survey to explore people’s awareness about the National Minimum Standards for Care homes for older people; - Compare the availability of assistive equipment available in local specialized shops with equipment which is available online. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - National Standards for Childcare Facilities. [online] Available at http://www.mip.com.mt/sites/default/files/tenders/National%20Standards%20for%20Child%20Day%20Care%20Facilities%20-%20pt1.pdf - Safety of the Playground! Information booklet for administrators of play areas. [online] Available at http://www.playgrounds.uokik.gov.pl/download/en_booklet.pdf - Parliamentary Secretariat for rights of persons with disability and active ageing. (2015) National Minimum Standards for care homes for older people. [online] Available at http://www.activeageing.gov.mt/en/Documents/NMS_ENG.pdf - Series of Occupational Health and Safety Leaflets available on OHSA website. [online] Available at http://ohsa.org.mt/Home/UsefulInformation/Leaflets.aspx - Chapter 449 of the Laws of Malta - Food Safety Act. [online] Available at http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=8915&l=1 Supplementary Readings: - National Minimum Conditions for all schools Regulations (1991). [online] Available at https://education.gov.mt/en/education/quality-assurance/Documents/QAD-ERCS/national%20minimum%20conditions.pdf - Act XXVII of 2000 Occupational Health and Safety Authority Act. [online] Available at http://justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=8890&l=1 - LN 36 of 2003. General Provision for Health and Safety at Workplaces Regulations. [online] Available at http://justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=10723&l=1 - LN 200 of 2007, as amended by Legal Notices 408 of 2007, 259 of 2011 and 392 of 2014. Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seatbelts Regulations). [online] Available at http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lp&itemid=17367&l=1 - Transport Malta - Safety checklist to be reviewed before going out at sea. [online] Available at http://www.transport.gov.mt/admin/uploads/media-library/files/TM%20Safety%20Checklist%20EN%20105x297.pdf - L.N. 124 of 1995. Maintenance of good order at places of entertainment regulations. [online] Available at: http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=9021 - Laws of Malta. Tobacco (Smoking Control) Act (1986). [online] Available at http://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/files/live/Malta/Malta%20-%20Tobacco%20Act%20of%201986.pdf - L.N. 23 of 2010. Smoking in Public Places Regulations. [online] Available at http://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/files/live/Malta/Malta%20-%20SF%20Public%20Places%20Regulations.pdf - L.N. 264 of 2002. Hygiene of Food Regulations. [online] Available at http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/DownloadDocument.aspx?app=lom&itemid=11108&l= - Tassoni, P., Bulman K, Beith, K.(2008) Children’s Care, Learning and Development. Heinemann:UK. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Ind Study & Ind Online Learning | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Joyce Callus Sylvia Caruana Luana Riolo Sandro Sammut Christine Zammit |
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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 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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