Through analysis of OHS
professional education programs in Australia, review of a range of
international sources, and extensive workshops and engagement sessions with OHS
educators and OHS professionals the OHS Body of Knowledge Technical Panel has
identified three global concepts, nine technical concepts with a number of
sub-concepts which together with the concept of ‘practice' as forming the core
body of knowledge for OHS professionals. These are listed below.
Global concepts:
Technical concepts:
- Socio-political context: Law as regulation, political,
economic, technological, societal, industrial relations
- Systems: Systems and systems thinking,
management systems, systems of work
- The organization: Culture, leadership, organisational
change, governance, management, organisational strategy
- Foundation science: for understanding hazards,
mechanism of action and so control
- Human (individual):
o Biological
o Psychological(cognitive, behavioural)
o Social
- Hazards and their mechanisms of
action and related controls:
o Hazard as a concept
o Psycho-social
o Biomechanical
o Chemical
o Biological
o Physical: Noise and vibration
o Physical: Electricity
o Physical: Radiation
o Physical: Thermal (hot/cold environments, processes
and objects)
o Physical: Gravitational (people and things falling
from heights), slips and trips
o Physical: Mechanical plant, pressure and mechanical
strain
o Physical: Mobile plant and vehicles
- Risk: Uncertainty, perspectives,
tolerance, acceptability, risk perception, exposure, likelihood,
consequence, risk assessment/risk estimation
- Causation:
o Overview
preamble linking causation (health and safety) and links with control
o Models of occurrence causation Including multiple
hazards (safety)
o Models of causation (health determinants)
- Control:
o Philosophy of control
o Prevention and intervention (incl safe design)
o Mitigation: Health impacts
o Mitigation: Emergency planning
Practice
Selected authors have been asked to write on each concept and sub concept with
the writing for each section being between 3000 and 5000 words each. This
concepts writing should be completed by the end of February 2011.
The next stage in the development of the OHS Body of Knowledge is for each
concept and sub-concept to be peer-reviewed by a specialist in the topic and
also reviewed by an OHS professional. The requirement for OHS professional
reviewers is that they have tertiary qualifications in OHS and at least three
years OHS experience post qualification. With their agreement, all reviewers
will be noted in the OHS Body of Knowledge publication.
Should you meet these requirements and are interested in being a reviewer of a
section of the OHS Body of Knowledge please email sally@enhancesolutions.com.au by 18nd February with your name, email, contact phone number, the
concepts/sub-concept you are interested in reviewing, your
qualifications, your SIA membership grade and a summary of your
experience particularly with regard to the concept you wish to review.
This is your opportunity to influence the OHS Body of Knowledge that will
impact on OHS professional education and on professional development of current
professional and practitioners.