Environmental and Occupational Health Courses

Human Health Risk Assessment

This course introduces base concepts and methods for assessing risks posed to human health and safety. It develops an awareness of the rigor required to conduct defensible assessments and the challenge of making recommendations in the face of uncertainty. The course also facilitates discussions and activities around the vital role of practitioners in protecting individuals from potentially hazardous environmental and workplace exposures. Lastly, the course emphasizes the importance of effective risk communication methods to share risk information responsibly while maintaining trust in the message.

Occupational and Environmental Health Law

This course serves as the foundation for the discussion of legal issues that may arise in the University of Victoria's Certificate Program in Environmental and Occupational Health, and subsequently, in practice. This course introduces basic legal language, concepts and principles, and case law and legislation central to occupational and environmental health, so that you will be able to identify, research and consider basic legal issues effectively, and to discuss them productively with employers, colleagues and legal counsel, as circumstances require.

Occupational Health Hazards

This course provides an overview of occupational health hazards with particular emphasis on the effects of exposure to hazardous chemical and biological agents, medical surveillance programs and early preventive measures. Information is provided on the fundamental mechanisms of toxicity including:

• the route of entry
• the relationship between exposure effect and response
• acute versus chronic toxic effects
• occupational exposure limits

We examine sources of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, such as video display terminals and lasers, as well as sources of ionizing radiation like radioisotopes and X-rays. The course also focuses on a number of hazardous materials commonly found in the workplace that have been known to cause occupationally associated illness. Some assessments in this course include team work.

Risk Management: Perception and Communication

This practical course prepares occupational health and safety professionals for the implementation and management of risk assessments. By understanding the nature of risk and the public's perceptions, approaches are developed to effectively communicate environmental health risks and related issues to public and private sector decision makers, the media and the community. We also discuss ethical and legal issues related to risk communication.

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

This course provides an introduction to understanding the determinants and distribution of disease and accidents in human populations that may be attributed to the environment and the workplace. The methods used include data collection, analysis and report preparation, which enable preventive measures to be developed.

Environmental Health Economics

In this course, we examine the role of regional, national and international economics as well as business financial constraints and imperatives on health and safety in the workplace. Issues considered include:

• job security
• labour-management conflict
• technological change
• corporate strategies
• nationalization
• free trade

We’ll also consider the economics of health injuries and sources of grants for funding.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science that addresses workers' performance and well-being in relation to their work, workplace, tools, equipment and environment. Ergonomic considerations include body positioning, indoor air quality, noise and lighting levels, and the use of video display terminals.

This course provides practical information on:

• identifying potential ergonomic hazards in the work environment
• implementing and monitoring an ergonomic program
• back injury and repetitive strain injury prevention
• meeting current regulatory requirements

Final Project

The final project is the last course taken in the certificate program. The project requires the student to focus on a specific problem and establish a structured solution within an existing organization. The student must directly integrate the content acquired through the Environmental and Occupational Health program to identify, plan, communicate and/or evaluate information about the prevention of environmental and occupational conditions in the workplace that may have an adverse impact on human health.

Hazardous Waste Management

This course aims to guide the management of hazardous waste to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Outcomes of this course include understanding how to identify hazardous wastes, the roles and responsibilities for waste generators and consigners, storage and transport requirements, hazardous waste minimization techniques, emergency planning and response, and the regulatory requirements in Canada concerning hazardous waste.

Health Protection Technology

Minimizing risks to ensure a safe working environment may require the use of engineering controls such as safety equipment and personal protective equipment. This course provides information on the proper selection, use and maintenance of protective devices, and explores the design and implementation of workplace medical surveillance programs.

Safety Program Management

This course is designed to give you an overall understanding of the fundamental parts of an effective health and safety program from start to finish. Depending on the industry, a safety program will have different needs that can include written policies, training and a communication plan. You will identify the shortcomings of a health and safety program by evaluating injury statistics, and then create programs that address the high injury areas. The course will involve discussion of more recent issues in the health and safety field, such as violence in the workplace and mental health. Additional discussion will cover historical issues, such as chemicals and physical hazards, and how they are integrated into an overall health and safety program.