Units / MPH5241
MPH5241 · Introduction to occupational health and safety
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
The effects and human cost of occupational disease and injury, occupational health and safety law, worker's compensation, negligence, occupational rehabilitation, historical achievements and challenges, international and national organisations.
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Hospital | First semester | Activities scheduled as a mix of on-campus and online activities in a block period (BLD-BLK) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infographic (One page including graphics) | Artefact | 25% | — |
| 2 | Case study analysis and reflection - end of week 6 (1,200 words) | Written | 20% | — |
| 3 | Return to work plan (1,200 words) | Work integrated | 20% | — |
| 4 | Workplace Report (2,100 words) | Written | 35% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse the human and economic cost and causes of workplace injury and death in Australia
- Critically appraise contemporary Work Health and Safety (WHS) data sources;
- Describe the theoretical underpinnings of various injury models and their use within Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems;
- Contextualise the legal framework applying to the workplace;
- Communicate the fundamental principles of WHS practice
- Analyse the WHS impacts of contemporary and changing work patterns and new and emerging challenges.
Workload
On-campus: 6 contact hours, plus 6 hours self-directed study, per week. Off-campus: 12 hours self-directed study per week, plus 3 block days.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Workshops | 24 hours |
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