Introduction to Global Occupational Health

Postgraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

Aim:

The students should acquire basic knowledge in occupational health and understand how this knowledge can be used to prevent development of diseases and injuries caused by conditions at workplaces in the world.

Contents of this study:

  • Occupational health - basic definitions and concepts
  • Chemical, biological, physical and psycho-social factors at work and development of diseases and injuries due to these factors
  • Methods for evaluation of work environment factors and health in occupational health settings
  • Prevention of occupational diseases and injuries
  • The occupational health situation globally

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The students will be able to:

  • describe basic concepts in occupational health
  • recognize the most important risk factors for illness and injuries at work places, both nationally and globally
  • describe the major occupational diseases nationally and globally
  • explain the different steps in risk assessment at the workplace
  • describe the association between workplace exposure and health effects
  • describe the main steps in risk prevention on exposure to health hazards in the work environment

Skills

The student shall be able to:

  • conduct a primary risk evaluation of a work place
  • advice on how to prevent work-related injuries and diseases

General competence

The student will be able to:

  • understand and discuss the interaction between the actors within occupational health; employers, employees, health and safety personnel, occupational health services, occupational health clinics and the Labour Inspection
  • reflect on occupational health in a global perspective

ECTS Credits

Full time for three weeks.

Level of Study

Master

Semester of Instruction

Spring
Required Previous Knowledge
Students admitted to a Master¿s degree program in Global Health, Public Health or International Health may join this course. People with other backgrounds of relevance can be considered. Good knowledge of English is required.
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Students enrolled in Master¿s programme in Global Health at CIH, or from institutions which CIH has a mobility agreement or capacity building project with, will be given priority.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Partial overlap with INTH660 - Occupational Health in Developing Countries, INTH310A - Introduction to Occupational Health and ELMED209 - Arbeidsmedisin i utviklingsland (3 ECTS)
Access to the Course
Students admitted to a Master¿s degree program in Global Health, Public Health or International Health may join this course. People with other backgrounds of relevance can be considered.
Teaching and learning methods
Interactive lectures, group work, student presentations, workplace visits, hospital visit, demonstrations of equipment for health surveillance and exposure measurement, and protective equipment.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
The students must participate in workplace visits, demonstrations, hospital visits, group/individual assignments and students presentations.
Forms of Assessment

The exam is held physically in the last week of the course.

Work on exams and selected assignments must be in accordance with the guidelines for the use of AI at the Faculty of Medicine (www.uib.no/en/med/174309/use-artificial-intelligence-ai-faculty-medicine). The extent to which you can use AI will be specified in Mitt UiB and/or in the relevant assignment.

Grading Scale
ECTS credits A-F (F = fail)
Assessment Semester
Spring
Reading List
01.12 for the spring semester.
Course Evaluation
The students will be asked for an short oral evaluation every Monday in the course.They will be asked to fill in a written survey at the end of the course.
Programme Committee
The Program Committee for Global Health
Course Coordinator
Professor Bente E. Moen, Centre for International Health
Course Administrator
The Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care at The Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen