Management
of health and safety in
the workplace is not a
legal and moral obligation;
it also makes good business
sense. Attention to safety
and employee welfare issues
can yield valuable returns
in improving employee
morale, reducing absenteeism
and maintaining productivity,
while cutting costs arising
from accidents and compensations
thereof. Health and safety
is often regarded as being
separate from other workplace
issues. As health and
safety laws often involve
technical issues, laypersons
feel that only experts
can deal with such matters.
PRIA's
learning and experiences
of the last two decades,
however, defies this myth.
We believe most accidents
happen because they have
not been prevented thus
safety is a key issue.
This programme titled
"Certificate in Occupational
Health and Safety"
is designed to provide
learners with basic information,
resources, discussion
questions and interactive
opportunities that motivate
an understanding of Occupational
Health and Safety. The
methodology and case studies
used in the programme
are on the one hand tested
in the field set up and
on the other enriched
by PRIA's networking with
experts and practitioners.
II.
Who can join?
The
course is designed for
safety officers working
in the industry, trade
union activists who have
involvement for the health
and safety of the workers.
Members of statutory safety
committees, civil society
organisation activists
interested in taking up
the occupational/environmental
health issues and medical
doctors working in the
industry, environmentalists,
media persons and all
those who are interested
in the subject.
(list of student of April-07
batch)
III.
Special features
•
This innovative course
is one of its kinds, at
the national, regional
and international level,
in a distance education
mode.
•
A range of conceptual
and practical issues on
occupational health raised
in the course are, on
the one hand, tested in
the field set up and,
on the other hand, enriched
by PRIA's networking with
experts and practitioners.
•
It has leading national
and international academics
and practitioners as part
of guest faculty.
•
The course material is
specially designed and
developed to meet special
requirements of distance
mode of education.
•
To encourage maximum interaction
between the instructor
and the learners PRIA
has developed a Bulletin
Board Service wherein
the students can post
their queries, comments,
suggestions, and experiences
and participate in the
online but asynchronous
discussions. The students
can also access the tutor
through emails and phone.
IV.
Course structure
Course
goal:
The
course is focused on capacity
building and demystifying
the concepts and practices
of the issue and in the
long run aims at educating
each one concerned about
and interested in the
subject, in the anticipation,
recognition, measurement,
prevention, control and
remediation of workplace-related
hazards and diseases.
To
meet the above goal, the
course is divided into
seven units:
Unit
1: Introduction to occupational
health and safety
•
Definition of occupational
health and safety
• Occupational
health and safety in developing
countries
• Occupational
hazards
• Occupational
hygiene
• Ergonomics
Unit
2: Sector specific occupational
health and safety issues
•
Health and safety risks
in mining
• Health hazards
in electronics industry
• Health hazards
in the food processing
industry
• Health hazards
in textile industry
Unit
3: Socio-economic aspects
of occupational health
and safety
•
Women and occupational
health safety
• Child labour
and occupational health
• Health problems
in unorganised sector
Unit
4: Health screening measures
•
Stages of medical examination
• Occupational
history
• Pulmonary
Function Test (PFT)
• Noise Induced
Hearing Loss (NIHL)
Unit
5: Basics of preventive
techniques
•
Accident analysis
• Monitoring
of hazards
• Reporting
and investigation of accidents
• Prevention
and control of accidents
• Ensuring
safety measure
Unit
6: Occupational health
and safety legislations
in India
•
Overview of the existing
OHS legislations in India
• The Factories
Act
• The Mines
Act
• The Workmen's
Compensation Act
• The Employee's
State Insurance Act
• Present State
of OHS legislations in
India
Unit
7: Participatory research
in occupational health
•
Philosophy of Participatory
Research (PR)
• Use of participatory
research methods in occupational
health
• Conducting
participatory research
for OHS
V.
Learning objectives
On
completion of the course
the learners would:
• Acquire basic
knowledge of occupational
health and safety.
• Develop preliminary
skill in Assessment of
occupational hazards.
• Understand
the process of evaluating
the occupational hazards.
• Sequence
the steps involved in
diagnosis of occupational
diseases
• Know the
steps involved in prevention
of occupational health
hazards.
VI.
Team involved in course
development and delivery
Faculty
Course
designed,developed and
advisory
•
Jaitli Harsh, Director,
PRIA Consultants, New
Delhi
• Jain,
Priti, Education Consultant,
Creative Learning for
Change, New Delhi.
• Pandey, Nimishaa,
Former Faculty, PRIA Continuing
Education, New Delhi.
Course
editor:
Jena, Tapan K. (Dr.),
Reader, School of Health
Sciences, IGNOU, New Delhi.
Secretarial
support
•
Joshi, C. S., Sr. Secretary,
PRIA Continuing Education,
New Delhi.
VII.
Admission procedure
Eligibility:
The minimum required qualification
is Bachelor's degree in
any subject.
Mode
of delivery:The
course is offered in a
distance mode, making
learning accessible through
part time study, outside
working hours. Distance
delivery includes print
materials and immediate
and engaged communication
through web board.
Duration:The
course is of 3 months
duration.
Medium
of instruction:The
course will be delivered
in English.
Credits
and evaluation:It
is a 8-credit course and
involves 240 study-hours.
Evaluation will be based
on written assignments
in the form of reflection
papers, case study analysis
and project work.
Course
fee: The
course fee is Rs.5000/-
or 250 US$ for applicants
outside India payable
in one installment.
Payment
of fee:The
fee is to be paid in Demand
Draft drawn in favour
of "Society for Participatory
Research in Asia",
payable at New Delhi.
The fee can also be paid
through Bank
Transfer.
Registratin
Deadline: The
last date for registration
is Monday,March 10,2008(first
come first serve basis).
