Home  /   Course Handbook  /  Research in Occ Health & Safety (OHSE6090)

OHSE6090

Research in Occ Health & Safety

10 Units 6000 Level Course

Available in 2013

WebLearn GradSchool Semester 2

Previously offered in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

Introduces research aspects of occupational health and safety. As much of the research in OHS (at least as far as people are concerned) uses epidemiology, this is the focus of the course. Statistics are part of research and are introduced in the course with an emphasis on practical statistics to help in the workplace or help students to understand the literature. The course also covers some other research methods and critical appraisal of the literature.

Objectives At the completion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Show an understanding of the nature of epidemiology.
2. Use basic indicators of health in a community.
3. Analyse an occupational health problem using an epidemiological approach
4. Critically review the OH&S research literature.
Content a. Epidemiology: what is it?
b.Health Indicators
ratios, proportions and rates
using health indicators
c. Research strategies for occupational health and safety interventions
hypotheses
the components of a research study
types of research study
relationship of study types to each other
validity
the exposure variable
d. Risk, cause and bias
risk
further estimates of risk
cause
confounding and other biases
e. Introduction to statistics
gathering and reporting information
describe and manipulate information
using mean, standard deviation and number
probability and confidence
comparisons
inferential statistics
f. Investigating epidemics
recognising and epidemic
investigating and epidemic
clusters
g. Qualitative methods
h. Research ethics
i. Critical appraisal
Replacing Course(s) N/A
Transition N/A
Industrial Experience 0
Assumed Knowledge Nil
Modes of Delivery Distance Learning : Paper Based
External Mode
Teaching Methods Self Directed Learning
Assessment Items
Examination: Formal 2 hour examination; short answer and multiple choice (relates to all objectives)
Other: (please specify) Assignment 2:
Part A: Critical appraisal of two specific articles from the occupational health literature.
Part B: Design an epidemiological study to answer a specific occupational health problem
(relates to all objectives)
Case Scenario/PBL exercises Assignment 1: Case study of a workplace-based problem - (relates to objective 3)
Contact Hours Self Directed Learning: for 10 hour(s) per Week for Full Term
Timetables 2013 Course Timetables for OHSE6090