Integration of environmental health in the curriculum

The occupational health and safety course creates an opportunity to integrate conversations about environmental health at and beyond the workplace.

There are five course objectives, the two most relevant to environmental physiotherapy are:

1. Positively influence workplace culture and practice through strategic thinking, advocacy, critical reflection, evaluation, innovative problem solving and initiative.

2. Facilitate change informed by best available research evidence and current legislative requirements pertaining to workplace health and safety.

Placements and reflection on placement experiences

During their industry placement experience, students are facilitated to risk manage workplace hazards in their allocated placement organisation. The students then return to class to share their observations and assessment of placement activities through storytelling between peers. The class teacher facilitates students to discuss and reflect on environmental health in relation to the stories they are sharing, covering the following topics:

The place of work in sustainable development goals (SDG), for example:

• SDG #3 Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• SDG #5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, women at work
• SDG #8 Decent work
  • Gender equality
  • Child labour
  • Enforced labour

What is taken for granted with work in the Australian context – sanitation, air conditioning, food standards, rights and responsibilities, having a voice through consultation and advocacy. 

Health and safety considerations for physical tasks at work, in relation to:

• Heat Stress – environmental influence on workplace temperature, the impact of climate change
• Lung health at work –latent effects of exposure to asbestos, silicosis associated with cabinetry work (eg kitchen benches), banning smoking at work
• Hazardous substances used
• Noise from machinery
• Stress and relief

Course assessment

Student learning in the course is assessed by an individual presentation and a team placement report. An individual presentation is given on a topic that the student chooses from a list nominated by the course coordinator (Rose), and an audience of their peers and teaching staff engage in questions and answers. The topic list includes the topics given above.

In the placement report, students identify hazards and are expected to make suggestions for how they can be prevented or managed. This can include consideration of environmental influences on hazards and the environmental impact of management strategies.  For example, students have identified ways that heat stress can be managed in the work environment with work schedulling to avoid heat exposure, designing cool spaces for recovery within the workplace, consideration of fluid intake, and the concomitant management of chronic conditions.