Overview
This unit will help you make the connection between science and safety so that you will think scientifically to promote evidence-based safety practice. You will be introduced to the science that explains how hazards behave, the concept of energy conversion and how hazards cause harm. Management of health and safety risk is discussed from an evidence-informed perspective. Case studies will be used to assist you in developing an appreciation of the linkages between the causation of harm and fundamental theories of physics, chemistry, physiology and social sciences.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite study of 24 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluations and staff observations
Quizzes enabled continuous assessment throughout the term and provided students with an opportunity to immediately and regularly check in with their understanding of the material.
Continue to develop robust and diverse question banks to expand and improve upon the quizzes for future offerings of this unit.
Feedback from Staff observations
Group work remains a challenge for students however the use of the Self and Peer Assessment tool allowed students the opportunity to highlight issues and successes in a constructive manner.
Promote the use of the Self and Peer Assessment tool for future group work in this unit and continue to encourage students to engage with their groups earlier in the term.
Feedback from Student evaluations and staff observations
Team teaching in this unit was a success, with the learning materials being improved upon and delivered by staff with relevant expertise, and providing students with an additional point of contact and support within the unit.
This unit can continue to be strengthened by the expertise and involvement of multiple lecturers/tutors or a combination of lecturers and the coordinator.
- Describe the scientific nature of hazards
- Explain the principles of energy conversion as it applies to health and safety risk
- Apply scientific principles to explain fatality, injury, illness and harm
- Utilise scientific research to improve health and safety outcomes
- Analyse the utility and practicality of risk controls in a structured and scientific manner.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Case Study - 30% | |||||
2 - Written Assessment - 30% | |||||
3 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
1 - Communication | |||||
2 - Problem Solving | |||||
3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
4 - Information Literacy | |||||
5 - Team Work | |||||
6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
8 - Ethical practice | |||||
9 - Social Innovation | |||||
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
1 - Case Study - 30% | ||||||||||
2 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
3 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.dell@cqu.edu.au
a.raineri@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Lecture: Introduction to OCHS12018 Safety Science
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Introduce yourself in the Week One 'Introduce Yourself' forum so we know you can access the unit Moodle site.
Module/Topic
Lecture: Underpinning Scientific Concepts of Safety I
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 opens 20th March
Module/Topic
Lecture: Underpinning Scientific Concepts of Safety II
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 opens Friday 27th March
Module/Topic
Lecture: Physical and Mechanical Hazards
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 closes Friday 3rd April
Quiz 3 opens Friday 3rd April
Module/Topic
Lecture: Noise and Vibration
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 closes Friday 10th April
Quiz 4 opens Friday 10th April
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3 closes Friday 17th April
Module/Topic
Lecture: Light and Radiation
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 4 closes Friday 24th April
Quiz 5 opens Friday 24th April
Module/Topic
Lecture: Electrical Hazards
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 6 opens Friday 1st May
Module/Topic
Lecture: Chemical Hazards I
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 5 closes Friday 8th May
Quiz 7 opens Friday 8th May
Case Study Analysis Due: Week 8 Monday (4 May 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Lecture: Chemical Hazards II
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 6 closes Friday 15th May
Quiz 8 opens Friday 15th May
Module/Topic
Lecture: Biological Hazards
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 7 closes Friday 22nd May
Quiz 9 opens Friday 22nd May
Module/Topic
Lecture: Psychosocial Hazards
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 8 closes Friday 29th May
Quiz 10 opens Friday 29th May
Module/Topic
Lecture: Recap
Chapter
Readings will be made available in Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 9 closes Friday 5th June
Quiz 10 closes Friday 5th June
Group Report Due: Week 12 Monday (1 June 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Case Study
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that you can apply scientific principles to explain the process that resulted in damage or harm. You will be presented a list of case studies that involve various forms of energy.
You are required to select and analyse three case studies from the list provided on the Moodle Assessment page for this assessment. Your three selected case studies must each feature a different energy form.
Using the energy-damage model, each analysis must:
-
Identify the selected case study
- Identify the form of energy immediately before control was lost
- Identify preconditions that make the event possible
- Describe the hazard control failure mechanism
-
Describe the point in time that relates to the damage event
- Identify the space transfer mechanism
- Describe the energy transference that led to damage
- Identify the assets damaged (recipients)
- Identify the damage threshold of the recipients
Referencing is not required for this assessment, but if you choose to utilise additional resources they should be referenced in accordance with Harvard Style.
Week 8 Monday (4 May 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Three case studies are to be submitted
Week 10 Monday (18 May 2020)
Your submission will be assessed against the following criteria:
Each case study analysis (10 marks)
Depth of analysis and level of accuracy for the following:
-
Identify the selected case study (1 mark)
-
Identify the form of energy immediately before control was lost (1 mark)
-
Identify preconditions that make the event possible (1 mark)
-
Describe the hazard control failure mechanism (2 marks)
- Describe the point in time that relates to the damage event (1 mark)
-
Identify the space transfer mechanism (1 mark)
- Describe the energy transference that led to damage (1 mark)
-
Identify the assets damaged (recipients) (1 mark)
-
Identify the damage threshold of the recipients (1 mark)
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Describe the scientific nature of hazards
- Explain the principles of energy conversion as it applies to health and safety risk
- Apply scientific principles to explain fatality, injury, illness and harm
- Utilise scientific research to improve health and safety outcomes
2 Written Assessment
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate application of evidence-informed thinking in regards to the management of a safety science problem.
This is a team assignment (up to 3 members). You can request your own teams, but must do so by email to the unit coordinator during or before week 3. If you are not in a team by Monday of week 4, you will be assigned to a team.
Case Study
Whites Petroleum Company has recently acquired a Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and transfer facility that was founded in 1965. Due to past events, the managers of Whites Petroleum are aware that there is potential for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions (BLEVEs) in this industry. As a safety consultant, you have been asked to explain why and how BLEVEs may occur and to recommend intervention strategies that are practical, cost-effective, and specific to the LPG industry. The interventions you recommend need to be based on scientific principles.
Present your recommendations in the form of a summary report to the company. In your response, you should include:
1. A review of the literature relating to BLEVEs, including a summary of:
- The conditions under which BLEVEs can occur
- The chemical and physical properties of LPG
- The potential for secondary fires and explosions following a BLEVE
- Available risk control measures
- Evidence from research in the field
2. A discussion of the merits of various interventions
3. Your considered opinion concerning the most appropriate intervention(s), based on the evidence you have reviewed
4. Your recommendations for implementing your chosen intervention strategy/strategies
Submissions of 1500-2000 words are more likely to be successful.
Each team member must also submit a Self and Peer Assessment. Access to this tool will be provided through Moodle or via email (to your CQU Student email address) towards the end of the term.
Week 12 Monday (1 June 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Exam Week Monday (15 June 2020)
Marks and feedback will be available to students two weeks after the due date.
Your submission will be assessed against the following criteria:
Introduction
- The intervention you will argue for
- The direction the submission will follow
Analyse of BLEVEs in the LPG industry
- The conditions under which BLEVEs can occur
- The potential for secondary fires and explosions
- The chemical and physical properties of LPG
- Lessons learned
- Interventions (control measures) available
Discussion
- Merits of various interventions
- Consideration of hierarchies of control, practicality and cost-benefit
- Your opinion based on reputable and credible evidence
- Depth of discussion
Recommendations for action
- Clear and to the point
- Suitable implementation (action plan) for the intervention(s) recommended
Conclusion
- Implications of your recommended intervention(s)
- Includes no new information
- Draws to a logical end
Argument is persuasive
- Makes logical connections between evidence, opinion and recommendations
- Written expression is concise and precise
- Format, grammar and spelling support readability
References
- Consistent with Harvard Style (located in the unit profile)
- Contains at least 10 reputable references, 4 of which are peer-reviewed journal articles
- Communication
- Commitment
- Contribution
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Social Innovation
- Apply scientific principles to explain fatality, injury, illness and harm
- Utilise scientific research to improve health and safety outcomes
- Analyse the utility and practicality of risk controls in a structured and scientific manner.
3 Online Quiz(zes)
For this assessment you will be required to complete 10 online quizzes, each assessing your understanding of the learning materials from a different week. Quizzes will cover the material from weeks 2 to 11.
It is important that quizzes are completed in a timely manner following each topic, so each quiz will be open for two weeks only. Each quiz will open on the Friday of the relevant week, and close on the Friday two weeks later. (For example, the first quiz will open on Friday of week 2 and close on Friday of week 4.)
Weekly
Quizzes will close on Friday at 11.55pm two weeks after they open.
Marks and feedback for each quiz will be available in the week after closure.
Each quiz is worth 4% of your overall mark for this unit. Marks will be awarded for correct answers.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Technology Competence
- Describe the scientific nature of hazards
- Explain the principles of energy conversion as it applies to health and safety risk
- Analyse the utility and practicality of risk controls in a structured and scientific manner.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.