MPH Occupational Health

This unit introduces the discipline of occupational health to medical practitioners from any clinical speciality and to professionals who want to gain foundation knowledge of occupational medicine and hygiene. The unit is delivered using a blended learning approach, with extensive online materials including case studies, directed reading and face-to-face teaching to familiarise students with a range of concepts and principles that underpin Occupational Health. The unit provides an introduction to occupational health policy and practice and a comprehensive exploration of hazardous substances and risks to health, including introduction to toxicology, thermal and lit environments, noise and vibration.

The unit introduces the common knowledge framework required in occupational medicine, occupational health and occupational hygiene professions and explores the fundamental principles of occupational health for evaluating occupational hazards and risk assessment outcomes for worker health protection.

The learning outcomes intend to provide the student with the knowledge to describe and define the role and responsibilities of the occupational health and hygiene professional in relation to specific hazards and risks in the workplace.

• Occupational Health in Perspective
• Introduction to Occupational Health Law
• Communication in Occupational Health
• Ethical Considerations in Practice
• Introduction to Toxicology
• Introduction to Occupational Hygiene
• Introduction to Lighting
• Introduction to Temperature and Work
• Introduction to Noise and Vibration
• Introduction to Hazardous Substances
• Workplace and Clinical Assessment Skills

Learning and teaching will take the form of online materials supported by online lectures, webinars, group discussion, tutorial, face to face workshops and practical experience days where relevant. 

Blackboard and Zoom/Teams will be used for course materials including group discussions, announcements and updating of content, relevant lecture slides and additional reading.
 

On completion, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a conceptual understanding of how to evaluate the effects of agents on health and advise on their prevention and management;
• have an awareness of current legislation and the regulatory bodies relating to occupational health practice; and
• reflect on the impact of a wide range of social, economic, environmental and political influences on the working environment.

On completion, students should be able to:

• demonstrate the ability to solve problems and make decisions about occupational health risks;
• understand the nature of evidence required to establish a causal link between occupation and disease or injury; and
• recognise the importance of the interaction between health and work (i.e. effects of work on health and health on work) and understand how to manage such problems.

On completion, students should be able to:

• evaluate the likely effects of hazardous agents on health, and advise on their prevention and management
• plan and carry out an assessment of a working environment taking into account hazards, and evaluating risk;
• design, carry out, write up, and present studies that allow investigation of work-related incidents, accidents, or disease; and
• be aware of sources of further information and advice (e.g. scientific literature and dedicated websites etc.).

On completion, students should be able to:

• integrate knowledge of health, legislation and business in the management of work-related issues affecting both individuals and groups.

Approved by the Faculties of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London (FOM) and Ireland (FOM-I).

Formative assessments with automatic feedback are available throughout the unit as an aid to understanding the course materials. Feedback for the summative assessments is provided by tutors via Blackboard. Students may also receive feedback from interaction with session leaders throughout the course of study. 

• Agius R, Seaton A. Practical occupational medicine 2nd ed. London: Hodder Arnold 2005. ISBN 034075947X.   
• Tar-Ching A, Gardiner K, Harrington, JM. Occupational health (Pocket Consultants) 5th ed. Wiley-Blackwell 2006.  ISBN- 10 1405122218; ISBN-13 978-1405122214.
• Baxter P, Aw T, Cockroft A, Durrington P, Harrington J. Hunter’s diseases of occupations 10th ed. London: Hodder- Edward Arnold 2010. ISBN 9780340941669.
• British Medical Association. The occupational physician. BMA 2017.
• Faculty of Occupational Medicine. Ethics guidance for Occupational Health Practice. London: Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians 2018.
• Kloss DM. Occupational health law 6th ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell 2020. ISBN 978-1-118-93623-8.

If you have any questions regarding the content of this unit, please contact the Course Unit Leaders, Melanie Carder or Anne Clayson, via melanie.carder@manchester.ac.uk or anne.clayson@manchester.ac.uk.

If you have any other queries, please contact the Programme Admin team via shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk.