SAFE08042 2019 Workstation Assessor Training

General Details

Full Title
Workstation Assessor Training
Transcript Title
Workstation Assessor Training
Code
SAFE08042
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
SAFE - Safety Studies
Department
ESCI - Environmental Science
Level
08 - NFQ Level 8
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
Start Term
2019 - Full Academic Year 2019-20
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Rachel Nugent
Programme Membership
SG_SOSHM_K08 201900 Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Science in Occupational Safety and Health Management (Add-on)
Description

The aim of this module is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to conduct ergonomic hazard identification and risk assessment of workplace workstations and examine suitable organisational and operational controls.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;

1.

Have a basic knowledge of current health & safety legislation in relation to workplace workstations.

2.

Identify ergonomic risk factors, hazards and risks of workplace workstations and explain their association with musculoskeletal disorders.

3.

Complete an ergonomic workstation risk assessment.

4.

Identify practical solutions to reduce workers risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.

5.

Communicate the findings from ergonomic risk assessment and offer recommendations of basic principles for securing safety and health in the workplace.

6.

Constructively critique ergonomic risk assessment methods.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

This module will be delivered part-time and will include a blend of learning activities e.g. on-line lectures (via Adobe Connect), augmented by independent learning and directed learning. Moodle will be used as a repository of educational resources (e.g. PowerPoint presentations, recordings of online lectures and supplementary reading material) and a means of assessment (e.g. quizzes, uploading assignments and journals).

This approach is expected to address various student learning needs. The online delivery will be blended with workshops to bring the learners together to facilitate group learning.

Module Assessment Strategies

This module is 100% Continuous Assessment

The breakdown of the assessment:

  • Quiz assessment of theory:     (30%) to assess theory recall and understanding (at two stages, early in the semester and at the end of the semester)
  • Skills Demonstration:               (40%) to assess practical skills and knowledge (Middle of the semester)
  • Assignment:                             (30%) students must apply knowledge to complete an assignment outlined in a  case study brief with specific guidelines e.g. outline a suitable process to carry out an ergonomic risk assessment on a specific workplace workstation. (End of the semester)

Quizzes and assignments will be undertaken through Moodle and assignments uploaded through Moodle.

Repeat Assessments

Repeat Continuous Assessments

Indicative Syllabus

1. Have a basic knowledge of current health & safety legislation in relation to workplace workstations.

  • Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulation 2007: VDU

2. Identify ergonomic risk factors, hazards and risks of workplace workstations and explain their association with musculoskeletal disorders.

  • Ergonomics of workstations
  • Musculoskeletal disorder risk factors
  • Types of workstations and their influence of postures & movements

3. Complete an ergonomic workstation risk assessment.

  • Data collection methods
  • Ergonomic risk assessment tools e.g. questionnaires, surveys, checklists, score sheets

4. Identify practical solutions to reduce workers risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.

  • Physical ergonomics
  • Cognitive ergonomics
  • Organisational ergonomics
  • Ergonomics Principles
  • Case studies

5. Communicate the findings from ergonomic risk assessment and offer recommendations of basic principles for securing safety and health in the workplace.

  • Reporting methods
  • Communication

6. Constructively critique ergonomic risk assessment methods

  • Ergonomic risk assessment techniques

Coursework & Assessment Breakdown

Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %

Coursework Assessment

Title Type Form Percent Week Learning Outcomes Assessed
1 Quiz Coursework Assessment Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test 15 % Week 3 1,2
2 Design risk assessment Coursework Assessment Assessment 30 % Week 5 2,3
3 Workstation risk assessment assignment Coursework Assessment Assignment 40 % Week 10 3,5
4 Quiz Coursework Assessment Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test 15 % Week 12 4,6

Online Learning Mode Workload


Type Location Description Hours Frequency Avg Workload
Lecture Not Specified Online lecture presentation 1 Weekly 1.00
Workshop / Seminar Not Specified Workshop 2.5 Once Per Semester 0.17
Independent Learning Not Specified Self study/ directed reading 5 Weekly 5.00
Directed Learning Not Specified Directed Learning .85 Weekly 0.85
Total Online Learning Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 2.02 Hours

Required & Recommended Book List

Required Reading
2011-08-23 Risk Assessment Wiley
ISBN 0470637641 ISBN-13 9780470637647

An introduction to risk assessment that utilizes key theory and state-of-the-art applications With its balanced coverage of theory and applications along with standards and regulations, Risk Assessment: Theory, Methods, and Applications serves as a comprehensive introduction to the topic. The book serves as a practical guide to current risk analysis and risk assessment, emphasizing the possibility of sudden, major accidents across various areas of practice from machinery and manufacturing processes to nuclear power plants and transportation systems. The author applies a uniform framework to the discussion of each method, setting forth clear objectives and descriptions, while also shedding light on applications, essential resources, and advantages and disadvantages. Following an introduction that provides an overview of risk assessment, the book is organized into two sections that outline key theory, methods, and applications. Introduction to Risk Assessment defines key concepts and details the steps of a thorough risk assessment along with the necessary quantitative risk measures. Chapters outline the overall risk assessment process, and a discussion of accident models and accident causation offers readers new insights into how and why accidents occur to help them make better assessments. Risk Assessment Methods and Applications carefully describes the most relevant methods for risk assessment, including preliminary hazard analysis, HAZOP, fault tree analysis, and event tree analysis. Here, each method is accompanied by a self-contained description as well as workflow diagrams and worksheets that illustrate the use of discussed techniques. Important problem areas in risk assessment, such as barriers and barrier analysis, human errors, and human reliability, are discussed along with uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. Each chapter concludes with a listing of resources for further study of the topic, and detailed appendices outline main results from probability and statistics, related formulas, and a listing of key terms used in risk assessment. A related website features problems that allow readers to test their comprehension of the presented material and supplemental slides to facilitate the learning process. Risk Assessment is an excellent book for courses on risk analysis and risk assessment at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for engineers, researchers, consultants, and practitioners who use risk assessment techniques in their everyday work.

Required Reading
1997-11-30 A Guide to Human Factors and Ergonomics, Second Edition CRC Press
ISBN 0748401229 ISBN-13 9780748401222

This book focuses on the role of ergonomics in the manufacturing context, and looks at a number of design issues: anthropometry, posture, manual materials handling, lighting, noise, warnings, signals, controls, information processing, workstation layout, process layout, shift-work, job satisfaction, task analysis, ergonomic assessment and enhancing manufacturability and maintainability. Intended for engineers and students of engineering who design manufacturing systems and workstations, this text is also invaluable to human factors/ergonomics professionals who want to understand the manufacturing applications of ergonomics.

Required Reading
2004-08-30 Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods CRC Press
ISBN 9780203489925 ISBN-13 0203489926

Research suggests that ergonomists tend to restrict themselves to two or three of their favorite methods in the design of systems, despite a multitude of variations in the problems that they face. Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods delivers an authoritative and practical account of methods that incorporate human capabilities and limitations, environmental factors, human-machine interaction, and other factors into system design. The Handbook describes 83 methods in a standardized format, promoting the use of methods that may have formerly been unfamiliar to designers. The handbook comprises six sections, each representing a specialized field of ergonomics with a representative selection of associated methods. The sections highlight facets of human factors and ergonomics in systems analysis, design, and evaluation. Sections I through III address individuals and their interactions with the world. Section IV explores social groupings and their interactions (team methods), and Section V examines the effect of the environment on workers. The final section provides an overview of work systems-macroergonomics methods. An onion-layer model frames each method; working from the individual, to the team, to the environment, to the work system. Each chapter begins with an introduction written by the chapter's editor, offering a brief overview of the field and a description of the methods covered. The Handbook provides a representative set of contemporary methods that are valuable in ergonomic analyses and evaluations. The layout of each chapter is standardized for ease-of-use, so you can quickly locate relevant information about each method. Content descriptions are brief, and references are made to other texts, papers, and case studies. Standard descriptions of methods encourage browsing through several potential methods before tackling a problem.

Required Reading
2016-08-05 Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity CRC Press
ISBN 9781315356440 ISBN-13 1315356449

Even with todays mobile technology, most work is still undertaken in a physical workplace. Todays workplaces need to be healthy environments that minimize the risks of illnesses or injuries to occupants to compete in the marketplace. This necessitates the application of good ergonomics design principles to the creation of effective workplaces, and this is the focus of this book. This book will: Focus on ergonomic design for better health and ergonomic design for better productivity Presents environments that support new ways of working and alternative workplace strategies, as well as the impacts of new technologies Covers the role of ergonomics design in creating sustainable workplaces Includes ergonomics design for a wide variety of workplaces, from offices to hospitals, to hotels to vehicles, etc... Shows the design principles on how to design and create a healthy and productive workplace The market lacks an ergonomics design book that covers the topics that this book will cover. This book summarizes design principles for practitioners, and applies them to the variety of workplace settings described in the book. No other book currently on the market does that.

Required Reading
2002-05-03 Bodyspace Taylor & Francis
ISBN 9781135750350 ISBN-13 1135750351

This edition has been revised to bring fresh insights into the principles and practice of anthropometrics, workspace design, sitting and seating, hands and handles, ergonomics in the office, ergonomics in the home, and health and safety at work.

Required Reading
2002-09-11 Office Ergonomics CRC Press
ISBN 9780203485002 ISBN-13 0203485009

Office workers form a large and growing proportion of the workforce, especially with the growth of the service sector. Almost all of us work in computerised offices, and have become strongly attached to these machines. We wish to be productive and successful, satisfied with our work, get along with our fellow workers; we do not want to suffer aches in wrists, shoulders or back, or any headaches. This is a practical book, but it is based on sound theory and research. It is written for the practitioner: the office manager, the equipment purchaser, the designer and architect and especially for the individual office worker, for you and me who operate keyboards, check and make files, phone and fax, sit and stand, write and read, who discuss and evaluate , and prepare for decisions. We need to know how to set up the office, how to select and arrange our equipment and furniture, how to organise and pace our work. We need to perform 'at ease and efficiently', which is the motto of ergonomics

Required Reading
1999 Musculoskeletal Disorders, Risk Factors and Prevention Steps
ISBN 0801679842 ISBN-13 9780801679841

Module Resources