Revision Date 27Mar2018
HP 441 – HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE WORKPLACE
(SAMPLE SYLLABUS FROM PREVIOUS COURSE OFFERING)
Instructor: Ed Avol, Professor, Environmental Health Division,
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
2001 N. Soto St.Suite 230C
Los Angeles CA 90089-9237
(Health Sciences Campus, Soto I Building)
Telephone (323) 442-1090; fax (323) 442-3272; Email:
HP441 Lectures:Tuesday/Thursday, 2:00pm to3:20pm
Class Location VKC255, University Park Campus (UPC)
Office hours:Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am to 1030 am,
Tutor Campus Center Family Room
Additional meeting timesavailable by appointment
Course Description
What constitutes a “safe” workplace, and if it isn’t, how do we make it so? What skills are needed to accomplish this, and are there historical events to learn from and guide us forward? These are the issues to be explored by students in this course. Students will learn about the attributes of occupational and worker health, about the identification of “risky” or “dangerous” practices, and the available pathways to establishment of improved workplace practices. A wide range of current and previous occupations will serve as the platform on which discussions of worker health, occupational exposures, standards and practices, personal protection, and workplace safety plans will be identified, discussed, and developed. Historical case studies will be used to highlight events of worker importance, to motivate discussions of identifiable measures that might have been used to address the health and safety issues encountered in the respective events, and to craft appropriate strategies for workplace environments for the present and future. Students will learn to critically review occupational venues, identify concerns for follow-up, and propose a range of approaches to protect public and worker health and safety in a reasonable manner that can be placed into operation.
Class enrollment will be limited to allow for class cohesion, vibrant interactions, and broad interactive discussions.An emphasis will be placed on classroom participation and student engagement in discussions, presentations, and investigations to maximize the opportunities for insights, education, and action to improve working conditions in a broad range of occupations both visible and invisible to the everyday citizen.
Learning Objectives
1)Develop an understanding of the basic principles of occupational health practices, including elements of epidemiology, toxicology,exposure assessment, and common sense, using examples from students’ personal and extended experiences, as well as historical events;
2)Develop an understanding of challenges faced by individuals and community groups in evaluating workplace environments to assess workplace health and safety issues;
3)Become proficient in using library, electronic, and social media to research occupational and environmental health resources, retrieve information on workplace health concerns, and critically and objectively review the quality of presented materials;
4)Apply objective scientific approaches to the evaluation of occupational and environmental health concerns about potential hazards in order to responsibly assess issues and propose applicable solutions.
5)Develop the understanding and skills needed to craft an effective workplace plan that can be applied to benefit both employees and employers in the workplace.
Class Requirements and Format
Students will complete assigned readings and video viewings for each class and come prepared to actively participate in wide-ranging discussions of topics developed in the preparatory materials.The class will be presented in live-lecture format by the course instructor, with occasional guest lecturers who will provide added expertise in specific topic areas. Students will share occupational-health-themed issues through regular presentations in each class meeting. In-class discussions will supplement the readings and relate textbook presentations to life activities. A presentation of approximately 60 minutes’ length by the course instructor or guest lecturer will be typically preceded with a five-minute student presentation that will begin each class period.
Student presentations (“Today’s Job”) will focus onan occupational health topicrecently in the news and selected by the respective student. Presentations will include a brief description of the issues raised by the article, a discussion of the population at risk, and potential solutions or mitigation strategies to the identified problem. This will be followed by a brief interactive classroom discussion moderated by the student presenter. On the day of each presentation, student presenters will also be required to submit an electronic copy of their presentation, which will document their presentation, including providing references for the resources used to develop the presentation.Occasional quizzes on course material and homework assignment reviewswill also be a part of in-class activities.
Recommended readings, video clips, and supporting materialsfor each lecture topic areprovided in the course lecture schedule, and will provide a background for instructors’ course lectures. Additional materials may also be identified and/or distributed in class.
The HP441course textbook will be Levy, Barry S et al (Editors), Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, (Sixth Edition), ISBN 978-0-19-539788-8, Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press. While this will be the basic course reference, other reading materials will also be assigned for student use.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend every class and stay for the duration of the class. Failure to attend class, arriving late, or lack of active participation may impact the ability to achieve course objectives which could affect course grades.
University of Southern California policy permits students to be excused from class, without penalty, for the observance of religious holy days. This policy also covers scheduled final examinations which conflict with students' observance of a holy day. Students must make arrangements in advance to complete class work which will be missed, or to reschedule an examination, due to holy days observance. Please refer to Scampus on attendance policies. In consideration of classmates and the instructor, students are asked to keep external distractions that might interfere with class to a minimum.
Course Grades: Students’ course performance will be evaluated on the basis of participation in classroom discussions [10% of course grade],in-class quizzes [10% of course grade], assignedhomework exercises [10% of course grade], oral classroom presentations [10% of course grade], a midterm examination [20% of course grade], a final examination [20% of course grade], and a finalclass project [20% of course grade]. Summary presentations of completed projects will be the focus of class meetings in the final few weeks of the semester. Specific project format and details will be provided in class duringthe semester.
Final grades for the course will be based on the following scale:
A+ 97-100B+ 87-89 C+77-79 D 61-69
A 93-96B 83-86 C 73-76 F 0-60
A- 90-92B- 80-82 C- 70-72
Please note that an A+ carries the same weight (4.0) as an A.
Each item will be scored 0-10 and a grade will be assigned, based on a weighted average: A=use criteria in grading manual….
The Final Class Project will involve an oral presentation on an aspect of workplace health and safety of each student’s choosing. Potential topics may be drawn from class lectures, discussions, or readings. All final project topics must be pre-approved by the course instructor prior to students embarking on the respective project. Projects will be undertaken, completed, and presented by project teams of nominally three students.
Each project team’s classroom presentation should beapproximately 20minutes in duration.Class presentations may be made using Powerpoint, Prezi, video, social media, or any comparable audiovisual interactive activity. A copy of audio-visual presentations is to be submitted to the course instructor. The class presentation will inform, educate, and engage classroom peers in the issues, status, affected population, alternative solutions, and potential resolution of the identified occupational health challenge.In general, each project report will contain a literature review of available information to frame the matter being presented, a clear and concise presentation of the issue, an assessment about thesize and/or nature of the affected population, a critical review of possible alternative responses, a recommendation for action, and an informed estimation of possible outcomes. Student project presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer period with the class and instructor, to clarify presented issues and assess understanding of the topics covered.
Academic Conduct
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity or to the Department of Public Safety This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person.The Center for Women and Men provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage describes reporting options and other resources.
Support Systems
A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students.The Office of Disability Services and Programs certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.
Course Readings and Class Preparation Assignments will include assigned specific readings from the worldwide web and short videos from various websites. These will be provided in the Course Lesson Plan/Syllabus, which will be posted prior to the semester and periodically updated as the semester proceeds. When and if the syllabus is updated, students will be notified in class or by e-mail of this event. For this reason, it will be prudent to check the syllabus at regular intervals throughout the semester.
Late or Make-Up Work will be accepted if and only if an extension request has been submitted to the Instructor and if that request has been approved. Otherwise, papers, homework and presentations are due on the day and time specified. Extensions will be granted only for extenuating circumstances. If the submission is late without permission, the grade will be affected. Quizzes are given without notice at the beginning of selected class lectures and cannot be “made up” at a later date – students must be present in class at the time the quiz is provided to earn credit on a given quiz.
Classroom Distractions detract from both the learning environment and from making the best use of limited class time together. Do not take class time to peruse the student newspaper or do homework from other classes. Cell phones/pagers/loud electronic devices should be turned off, or set to “vibrate”, during class time. Electronic devices (laptops, tablets, iPads, etc) may be used to take notes during class, at the discretion of the instructor. Failure to comply with these simple and basic rules of classroom etiquette will adversely affect semester course grades.
Changes to the Course Syllabus may be necessary during the semester, based on the progress of course activities, or due to unforeseen or extenuating circumstances. Every effort will be made to provide adequate notification if and as changes need to be made.
Course Lectures and Readings: (see below; to be periodically updated)
HP 441 – HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE WORKPLACE
(SPRING SEMESTER, 2015)
Week / Class / Date / Topic / Speaker / Readings1 / 1 / 13 Jan / Introduction / Course Overview / Avol / Can’t Take It No More:
2 / 15 Jan / What Makes a Workplace “Healthy”? / Avol / (Course text) Chapter 1, “Occupational & Environmental Health”, pp3-22, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
The Story of OSHA:
2 / 3 / 20 Jan / Of All the Jobs in the World… / Avol / (any 6 interviews, one from each “book”, from Studs Terkel, Working) (text to be provided in class)
4 / 22 Jan / Safety Plans / Avol / Plan Elements & Cal/OSHA Inspections:
Safety: You’re your Responsibility:
3 / 5 / 27 Jan / Worker Education / Avol / Effective Workplace Training:
(General Communication)
Young Worker Safety:
6 / 29 Jan / OSHA / Avol / OSHA: 40-Year History:
Introduction to OSHA Video:
4 / 7 / 03 Feb / A “Real” Workplace: (Field Trip to LAFD Station #15) / Avol / Workplace Safety:
10 Commandments of Worker Safety:
(Field Trip to Station No.15, LA City Fire Dept)
8 / 05 Feb / Illness, Injury, & Disease / Avol / Illness & Injury Prevention Programs (IIPPs):
(Course text) Chapter 2, “Recognizing & preventing Disease & Injury”, pp23-54, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
5 / 9 / 10 Feb / Workplace Wellness / Carlin Daley / TBA
10 / 12 Feb / History of Worker Health / Students / TBA
6 / 11 / 17 Feb / Hazards on the Job: Physical, Chemical, Biological Hazards / Avol / Course text, Chapter 15, “Injuries & Occupational Safety”, pp315-334, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
Chemical Safety:
12 / 19 Feb / Hazards on the Job, Part II / Avol
7 / 13 / 24 Feb / Class Environmental Health & Safety Activity / Avol / TBA
14 / 26 Feb / Recognition & Assessment: Beginner’s Epidemiology & Toxicology / Avol / (Course text) Chapter 24, “Epidemiology”, pp507-526, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
(Course text) Chapter 25, “Toxicology”, pp527-558, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
8 / 15 / 03 Mar / Workplace Violence / Avol / Tips to Prevent Workplace Violence:
16 / 05 Mar / Workplace Equity, Social Justice, & Susceptibility / Avol / Course text, Chapter 4,“Equity & Social Justice”, pp69-97, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
9 / 17 / 10 Mar / Miner Safety and Health / TBD / (Course text) Box 2-5,pp 48-50; (Underground Coal Mining Disasters… Monforton C. Weight of the evidence or wait for the evidence? Protecting underground miners from diesel particulate matter. Amer J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):271-6 (posted on Blackboard)
18 / 12 Mar / Mid-Term Exam / Avol
10 / 17 Mar / SPRING BREAK / SPRING BREAK
19 Mar / SPRING BREAK / SPRING BREAK
11 / 19 / 24 Mar / Labor Unions / Avol / (Course text) Chapter 32, “Labor Unions”, pp.699-713, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
Labor Day, Labor Unions,...:
20 / 26 Mar / Community Health Concerns / Avol / (Course text) Chapter 35, “Community Health Concerns”, pp.738-751, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
12 / 21 / 31 Mar / Protecting Disaster Recovery Workers / Avol / (Course text) Chapter 37, “Protecting Disaster Recovery Workers”, pp.779-797, Levy et al, Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2011.
22 / 02 Apr / Workplace Ethics / Avol /
(pdf file of powerpoint presentation from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, iup.edu) on workplace ethics
13 / 23 / 07 Apr / Light in the Workplace / Konis / TBA
24 / 09 Apr / TBA
14 / 25 / 14 Apr / Class Cancelled / Instructor Out of Town
26 / 16 Apr / Machine Shop Visit / Avol / TBD
15 / 27 / 21 Apr / TBA / Avol
28 / 23 Apr / Project Presentations / Students
16 / 29 / 28 Apr / Project Presentations / Students
30 / 30 Apr / Final Review / Wrap-up / Avol / TBA
FINAL EXAMINATION DATE AND TIME: Thursday May 7, 2pm to 4pm