BLOCK 2 CONTENTS

Objectives

To provide a learning experience for DOH students in which a set of skills that is used in conducting, critically interpreting, and using the results of investigations in the workplace (eg occupational hygiene measurements) and research as published in the literature in the field of Occupational and Environmental Health will be developed.

The end product will be written work which will also be orally presented, and which will combine hazard analysis and risk assessment in a workplace, a literature survey, design of a small measurement exercise, analysis of measured data, and making recommendations in a comprehensive report to role players in the workplace.

7-STEP PROJECT TIMETABLE
STEP 1: Identification of work place and work place description/characterization	The workplace description should be comprehensive, and include psycho-social issues such as hostel dwelling, overtime worked, shiftwork, wages etc. Also the usual things like process, occupational health services and structures, number of workers. If the workplace is very big this description can be limited to a part of it. A hospital or clinic is acceptable if students have problems finding another site
Hand in by Friday May 6th
STEP 2: Hazard scan or Risk Assessment	During the second step students are taught how to do a hazard scan. They apply this to the workplace or a part of it so that all classes of hazard are identified and prioritized according to a risk assessment method (which they have to describe). No measurements are done but if the workplace has done them in the past these measurements are included.
Hand in by Friday July 15th
STEP 3: Literature search on one identified hazard and the development of a project issue for more detailed investigation.	This does not have to be the priority hazard. Selection of the issue for further investigation in the next step will depend on interest, work place needs, and the ability to collect some data for simple analysis.
Hand in by
STEP 4: Development of a project protocol to measure and address the hazard.	This is a simple protocol to ensure that obvious methodological issues are addressed and that the objective of the exercise is clear. The intention is to improve the occupational health service and not to do research(i.e. it should be something that an occupational health service would do routinely in order to evaluate an issue and improve the service e.g. implementing a better housekeeping programme in an analytical lab and evaluating staff blood lead levels for decline after the changes).
Hand in by
STEP 5:Collect and analyse the data.	This should be a small dataset e.g in the above example the lab has 20 staff members. It does not matter if there are limitations as long as these are identified. The data collected could be related to exposure, effects, or both.
Hand in by
STEP 6: Develop feasible recommendations and write the report.	Keep it as practicable as possible with recommendations. Use the reports produced during the previous steps for much of the final report.
Hand in by
STEP 7: Present to management and workers and prepare a summary for presentation to your classmates.
In the final examination, projects are presented and both written and oral components are marked.

7-STEP PROJECT TIMETABLE

STEP 1: Identification of work place and work place description/characterization

The workplace description should be comprehensive, and include psycho-social issues such as hostel dwelling, overtime worked, shiftwork, wages etc. Also the usual things like process, occupational health services and structures, number of workers.

If the workplace is very big this description can be limited to a part of it. A hospital or clinic is acceptable if students have problems finding another site

Hand in by Friday May 6th

STEP 2: Hazard scan or Risk Assessment

During the second step students are taught how to do a hazard scan. They apply this to the workplace or a part of it so that all classes of hazard are identified and prioritized according to a risk assessment method (which they have to describe). No measurements are done but if the workplace has done them in the past these measurements are included.

Hand in by Friday July 15th

STEP 3: Literature search on one identified hazard and the development of a project issue for more detailed investigation.

This does not have to be the priority hazard. Selection of the issue for further investigation in the next step will depend on interest, work place needs, and the ability to collect some data for simple analysis.

Hand in by

STEP 4: Development of a project protocol to measure and address the hazard.

This is a simple protocol to ensure that obvious methodological issues are addressed and that the objective of the exercise is clear. The intention is to improve the occupational health service and not to do research(i.e. it should be something that an occupational health service would do routinely in order to evaluate an issue and improve the service e.g. implementing a better housekeeping programme in an analytical lab and evaluating staff blood lead levels for decline after the changes).

Hand in by

STEP 5:Collect and analyse the data.

This should be a small dataset e.g in the above example the lab has 20 staff members. It does not matter if there are limitations as long as these are identified. The data collected could be related to exposure, effects, or both.

Hand in by

STEP 6: Develop feasible recommendations and write the report.

Keep it as practicable as possible with recommendations. Use the reports produced during the previous steps for much of the final report.

Hand in by

STEP 7: Present to management and workers and prepare a summary for presentation to your classmates.

In the final examination, projects are presented and both written and oral components are marked.

Steps 1 through 6 will count 2.5 marks each (6x2.5 = 15), the final report 2 marks, and the final presentation oral 2 marks. This gives a total of 19 marks.

Marks will be allocated as follows: 2.5 = Complete, 1.5= Progress, 0.5 = Markedly incomplete, 0 = no hand-in on time