Aims

This course aims to offer basic training to students who will be called upon in their
Professional lives to deal with specialists in safety and occupational medicine. The students will have to be broadly sensitised to, and motivated by, the problems raised, and be technically capable of joining with these specialists in fruitful dialogues designed to implement measures designed to improve working conditions.

Main themes

The course sets out to describe the methodology of the approach to occupational health and
safety problems. The three main stages of evaluating and controlling hazards are examined under environmental factors including noise, environment, lighting and chemical pollution.
Problems will be addressed at the level of constraint and at that of comfort.
Definition and evaluation of pollution.
Description of the main occupational diseases, and of the means of medical and technical
prevention.
Notions of medico social legislation and of workplace accidents.
Elements of occupational physiology: mechanisms for adapting to muscular exercise;
different kinds of physical/mental effort; basic metabolism, metabolism while at rest, and energy expenditure linked to occupational and recreational activities.
A study of jobs (intensity, anti-social elements, long hours, breaks, and security jobs).
Fatigue (definition, varieties, psychological and physiological aspects, measurement and
consequences).

Content and teaching methods

This course is an introduction to the problems of occupational welfare.
Notions of medico social legislation relating to workplace accidents and occupational
diseases.
A description of various occupational hazards, occupational diseases, and (medical and
technical) means of prevention and protection: physical, psycho social, chemical and biological factors; maternity protection; and occupational cancer.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

No pre-requirements
The assessment will take place at the same time as the written examination.
The course forms part of a study programme given in the evening and/or on Saturdays.
The course will rely on students participating actively, and on them highlighting any personal experience they may have in the field.

Other credits in programs