PGDip/MSc in Health, Safety and

Environmental Management

COURSE GUIDE

2019-2020
 CONTENTS

Overview

Key Staff

Programme Content

Assessment

Results

Submission of Coursework

Plagiarism

Illness and Medical Evidence

Timetable

Marking Criteria

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Overview
The course aims to teach the science and practice of occupational health, safety and environmental
control in the context of a team approach. It recognises the increasing demand from both industry
and enforcement bodies to integrate occupational health, safety and environmental issues.

On successful completion of the programme, students should be in a position to identify, evaluate

and provide solutions to a wide range of health, safety and/or environmental problems, and function
well in a multi-disciplinary team. The comprehensive syllabus recognises the importance of
technical and practical skills as well as the need for good management and academic skills such as
critical thinking. This programme is a collaborative endeavour with the Institute of Occupational
and Environmental Medicine.

The programme is offered in a variety of modes:

 Full-time MSc in Health, Safety and Environmental Management

Taught modules and major project run concurrently

 Part-time MSc in in Health, Safety and Environmental Management

Taught modules (mixture of day and block release) in year 1 and major project in year 2

 Part-time PG. Diploma in in Health, Safety and Environmental Management

Taught modules only in one year (mixture of day and block release).

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Key Staff
Course Leader
Dr Surindar Dhesi S.K.Dhesi@bham.ac.uk
Room 229, Public Health Building
Tel. 0121 414 7751

Course Administrator
Val Walker gees-pgtadmin@contacts.bham.ac.uk
1st Floor, LES Hub
0121 414 3077

Module Leaders

Environmental Protection and Climate Change

Zena Lynch Z.Lynch@bham.ac.uk
Room 230, Public Health Building
Tel. 0121 414 5556

Chemical and Biological Incident Management

Dr Lesley Batty L.C.Batty@bham.ac.uk ??
Room 304, GEES Building
Tel: 0121 414 7874

Occupational Health and Hygiene

Dr Steven Sadhra, S.Sadhra@bham.ac.uk
Room 114, Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Tel: 0121 414 6008

Safety Technology
Dr. Ian Litchfield, I.Litchfield@bham.ac.uk
Room 116, Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Tel: 0121 414 6006

Risk and Safety Management

Dr Steven Sadhra, S.Sadhra@bham.ac.uk
Room 114, Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Methods & Dissertation

Dr Surindar Dhesi, S.K.Dhesi@bham.ac.uk
Room 229, Public Health Building
Tel. 0121 414 7751

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Programme Content
TAUGHT ELEMENTS

Separate module guides containing detailed timetables, assessment and reading list information for
each will be provided at the beginning of all modules and available on Canvas.

Environmental Protection and Climate Change (20 credits) 23240

This module will develop students' appreciation of key concepts that link environmental science,
ecology, environmental pollution/degradation and human health and wellbeing. They will develop
an understanding of the scientific, technical, socio-economic, political and legal factors which
influence environmental quality, monitoring and remediation, climate change, and the mechanisms
and partnership strategies available to effect change. Students will also gain an understanding of the
sources, modes of transport and effects of pollution; and how pollution may be controlled in order
to protect human health and the environment. Basic applied field and laboratory techniques for
assessing environmental pollution will also be covered.

Chemical and Biological Incident Management (20 credits) 28766

This module will provide students with a basic knowledge and understanding of the scientific and
legislative issues related to the management of chemical and biological incidents. The causes and
types of incident will be introduced. The management of such incidents will be examined in detail,
covering the contribution of the different agencies, legislative issues, communication with the
public and techniques in remediation. The module will provide students with the ability to design a
management plan for an incident.

Occupational Health and Hygiene Module (30 credits) 19442

This practically based module will provide students with an introduction to the role and interface of
occupational health professionals. It will enable students to recognise, evaluate and control a
comprehensive range of hazards found in the workplace. The opportunity to study in detail specific
occupational diseases will be afforded, for example, dermatitis and occupational cancer. Practical
sessions will provide the opportunity to devise, implement and evaluate monitoring programmes for
biological, chemical, physical and radioactive workplace hazards. The principal methods to control
and to mitigate the impact of occupational hazards on the worker will be identified. There will be
an assessment of the current UK and international occupational health standards together with a
study of legal controls.

Risk and Safety Management Module (20 credits) 28768

This module will commence with a consideration of the legal requirements for safety management.
There will be consideration of the legal relationship between employer and employee, which will
include a review of the current case law relating to civil liability. There will be a review of
occupational accident and ill health data and its relevance as a management tool will be evaluated.
Theories of accident causation will be examined and management strategies to prevent accidents
will be considered. In particular the role of the individual and the organisation will be explored.
Quantitative and qualitative risk assessment methods will be studied. The philosophy of the
management of controls to prevent accidents will be considered.

Safety Technology Module (30 credits) 19443

This module will examine the integrity of machinery, plant and structures including the causes and
consequences of failure and a consideration of preventative measures. The hazards arising from
machinery, plant premises and processes will be evaluated and the technological and scientific
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principles which can be applied to remove or control the subsequent risk will be studied in detail.
The following areas will also be considered with respect to their relevance to workplace safety;
movement of people and materials, electricity and fire. Relevant legislative controls will be
studied.

RESEARCH ELEMENTS

Research Methods / Dissertation / Research Paper (60 credits) 27414

This module will provide students with the underpinning skills necessary for them to successfully
undertake an MSc research dissertation. It will provide students with an understanding of processes
needed to plan, implement and evaluate a research project. In particular there will be sessions
looking at hypothesis and research question generation, project management, quantitative and
qualitative methods, ethics, health and safety and presenting data. In addition there will be lectures
and computer practicals on basic statistical techniques. During the module students will be expected
to formulate their project ideas and to write their research protocols.

Students are to submit a 1500-2000 word proposal detailing a proposed piece of research which the
student intends to carry out for their dissertation or research paper.

Students on the MSc will undertake a Dissertation based on his or her own independent research.
It must include an element of individual research, which tests a particular hypothesis or answers
specific research questions. It will include the collection, analysis, and interpretation of novel data
or a systematic review.

The report is required to be scholarly, relevant, ethically sound, and set in the context of current
knowledge. It may be submitted in a traditional dissertation format or a shorter research paper
format. Formal approval must be given by the Head of Division, with a nominated Academic
member of staff allocated to supervise the project, before any detailed work can commence. More
detailed guidance will be issued to students during the Research Methods teaching.

Assessment

This is a summary of the assessment and full details are given in the guide for
each module

PART-TIME STUDENTS

Year 1 – assignments are identical for both 1st year MSc and Postgraduate Diploma candidates
and will comprise the following:

Taught Modules Three modules are assessed by course work (which may take the form of an
essay, case study, practical or other) plus an exam. The remaining modules are assessed by
coursework only. Deadline dates are clearly communicated at the beginning of each module.

Examinations will be held during May or early June.

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The pass mark for all assessments is 50%. The overall marks for the option modules will be
weighted 50% - exam; 50% - coursework, unless indicated on the module guide

Students who successfully complete the above will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma unless they
wish to proceed to study for an MSc.

Year 2 (part time)

A 1500-2000 word proposal is to be submitted detailing a proposed piece of research which the
student intends to carry out for their Dissertation. The module is assessed by means of a traditional
long format dissertation or research paper. All MSc students sit a viva voce (oral) examination.

The pass mark for the MSc is 50%; MSc with merit is 60% (if the dissertation is 60% or greater);
and MSc with distinction is an average mark of 70% (if the dissertation is 70% or greater). Full
details of the requirements for diploma and MSc are given in the University Regulations which are
available on the University website.

FULL-TIME STUDENTS

Assessment is identical to the above, with Year 1 and Year 2 assessments undertaken concurrently.

Results
Marks will be released to students in the form of grades as follows

70%+ Distinction
60% - 69% Merit
50% - 59% Pass
Below 50% Fail

Students will be permitted one further attempt to redeem failed components.

Please note all marks are provisional until ratified by the Board of Examiners which will meet
in October 2019.

The course has an External Examiner:

Professor Martie Van Tongeren

Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health
Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care
University of Manchester

Submission of Coursework
All coursework must be word processed, NOT handwritten.

All course work must be identified by

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 - student number (all work is marked anonymously)
- module title
- assignment title
- and include a word count

Course work should be submitted typed/word processed, and double spaced. A reasonable font size
must be used (min.12).

All coursework is to be submitted electronically by 12 noon on submission date to CANVAS.

Coursework will also be checked for plagiarism. Where hard copies are required (for example, for
the dissertation or research paper), this will be made clear by the module lead.

Extensions to deadline are not permitted except in exceptional circumstances. All requests for
extensions must be through the Course Leader. Forms can be obtained from Mrs Valerie Walker.

Extenuating Circumstances (e.g. medical conditions or personal problems which might affect
coursework or examinations) will be discussed by a Committee immediately before the Board of
Examiners meeting in order to guide their decision. Extenuating Circumstances must be provided
as soon as possible. Both a form explaining the circumstances and written evidence must be
provided. These can be discussed with the course leader or simply given to the course administrator
for later consideration. The forms can be obtained from Mrs Valerie Walker.

Failure to submit by the required date will result in the imposition of the penalties. For every
working day late, 5% will be deducted from the mark given. For instance, a piece of
coursework to be submitted on the Friday and subsequently marked at 72% is actually submitted on
the Monday. The coursework is given 67% (from distinction to merit). Clearly late submission can
have significant impacts on the assessment.

Plagiarism
Issues of plagiarism and collusion are taken extremely seriously by the University and a range of
penalties apply when it is discovered up to and including withholding of the degree.

Plagiarism is the use without acknowledgement of another person’s work, with the intention of
passing it off as your own. This applies equally whether the work in question is published in a
book, the internet, whether it is the work of another student or whether it is your own previous
work. Plagiarism is effectively intellectual theft. Collusion is the sharing of assessment-specific
work, with the intention of disguising what is essentially one piece of collaborative work as two
pieces of independent work. Further details on issues of plagiarism and collusion can be found at
the Academic office website: http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/study/support/sca/plagguide.shtml.

The University has software called TURNITIN, which will allow a checking of potentially
plagiarised information. All assignments must be submitted to TURNITIN via Canvas to be
checked for plagiarism. Students risk a zero mark and being subject to formal disciplinary
procedures if plagiarism is confirmed.

The University has a formal system to investigate and discipline any postgraduate students involved
in Plagiarism. Information on this can be found on: http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/sca/plagiarism/

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Illness and Medical Evidence
University policy on illness and medical evidence has recently changed, the following guidelines
apply. These are split into two categories: a) arrangements for normal periods of study and b)
arrangements during examinations and times of significant assessment.

During normal periods of study:

a) For minor/short-term illnesses (totalling less than 10 days in any academic year) students should
complete a self-certificate and forward it to their personal tutor as soon as possible. If illness
exceeds 10 days in any academic year the student is expected to produce a medical certificate from
their GP for any subsequent illness. This documentation may support short extensions for
submission of work (depending on when illness occurs) but otherwise carry little weight with
regard to impact on the overall degree.

c) For a more serious illness that lasts more than 7 consecutive days students should obtain a
medical certificate from their doctor. These certificates will carry significant weight with regard to
impact on the overall degree.

d) For prolonged or ongoing problems students may also need to request a medical certificate
depending on the impact on their studies. These certificates will also carry significant weight with
regard to impact on the overall degree and may allow alteration of the study programme when
required without further medical evidence.

Examination times and other significant pieces of assessment

Students will be expected to provide a medical certificate for any form of illness at these times and
to make their personal tutor/supervisor aware of the impact that they believe this illness has had on
their performance in the assessment. This information should be provided as soon as possible.

Notes:

a) A University of Birmingham medical certificate is available on the web at

http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/sca/documents/ec_medical_form.pdf
Only University provided medical certificates will be accepted.

b) Sponsored students should check whether or not their sponsor requires information about any
periods of absence and inform their personal tutors of the outcome. A release form will be provided
for students to sign to allow the University to communicate this information to the sponsor if this is
deemed necessary.

c) Students required to withdraw temporarily from their programme of study on medical grounds
will be required to produce a medical note before resuming their studies.

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Timetables
An overall timetable for the year is enclosed. Timetables for all modules and contents of individual
lectures etc. can be found in the individual module guides. These are issued at the commencement
of each module and will give the following information.

 Staff list
 Learning outcomes
 Lecture programme
 Assessment details
 Reading lists

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 Generic Marking Criteria: Essays and Examinations – MSc Programmes

The criteria listed below are commonly used in the assessment of essays and examinations. In those cases
where other criteria are utilised, these will be provided in advance by the relevant member of staff.

These criteria are given for guidance only. They are not intended as a rigid marking scheme as students’
work may match some criteria from one band and some from another. The criteria given demonstrate what
is typically expected in any one band. Examiners will use their professional judgment to award the overall
mark. Depending on the nature of the assessment only a subset of the criteria may apply. These criteria are
used for essays, coursework, exams, and dissertation, unless indicated otherwise.

For Level M Modules the pass mark is 50%

100-90 An outstanding answer.
Outstanding attainment with respect to all criteria 1-7.
Extremely well written and structured answer that addresses the question directly.
Outstanding comprehensive understanding, insight.
Clear evidence of synthesis of ideas and critical analysis. Conclusions well founded and justified.
Evidence of extensive knowledge derived from outside/additional material.
Is of publishable quality.

89-80 An excellent answer.

Excellent attainment with respect to all criteria 1-7.
Very well written and structured. All material presented is relevant to the question set.
Full understanding, with insight, comprehensive synthesis of ideas or critical analysis.
All relevant literature identified, used and clearly referenced
Is approaching publishable quality.

79-70 A highly comprehensive answer.

Excellent attainment with respect to virtually all criteria 1-7.
All material presented is relevant to the question set.
Well written and structured.
All major points given in the course included and fully understood.
Synthesis of ideas and/or critical analysis.
Demonstrates wide evidence of knowledge from relevant outside reading/additional material.
Elements of publishable quality, but requires additional insight and/or analysis.

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69-60 A substantive and cogent answer.
Scores highly with respect to most criteria 1-7 but with slippage in one or more areas.
Answer covers most of the material of relevance to the question.
Structure/presentation must be sound.
Includes the most important points given in the course accurately and with good understanding.
Evidence of knowledge from relevant outside reading/additional material.
Shows breadth and depth of thought

59-50 A satisfactory answer.

Answer generally derived from the lectures but with some relevant literature identified and cited.
Includes many of the key points but lacking in detail with some irrelevant material.
Shows an adequate knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Structure/presentation generally good.
May contain a small number of errors, ambiguities and/or unclear explanations.

49-40 An unsatisfactory answer.

An incomplete answer, covering only the basic issues.
Some irrelevant material.
Structure/presentation lacking in several respects.
Includes basic information derived solely from the lectures, but with some significant errors or
omissions.
Shows breadth rather than depth of thought.
Inadequate use of key literature

39-30 A poor answer.

May have omissions of major points.
Poorly structured.
Little material relevant to the question but evidence that the question has been, at least partly,
understood.
Fails to meet required standards for most of criteria 1-7

29-20 Very poor answer.

Unsatisfactory - containing one or two relevant points but at a very elementary level.
Very poor organisation of material.
Some muddled material or significant errors of fact.
Could be missing the point.

19-10 Little of value – one major or a small number of minor points in note form which may be just relevant.
Fails to address the question.

9-1 Virtually nothing of value – maybe one or two very minor points, phrases or words that are barely
relevant.
Very limited/No evidence of understanding the question.

0 Answer contains nothing relevant to the question

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