Professional education in occupational health and safety in Australia

Abstract

Legislative changes, and the general drive by practitioners to acquire recognised professional qualifications, has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) courses offered by Tertiary Institutions. In 1990 Worksafe Australia, in consultation with relevant Government Authorities, and professional groups, decided to develop guidelines on the standards required of OHS courses. A background paper on current Australian OHS courses was prepared in 1992. Twenty six educational institutions, offering programs designed to graduate OHS personnel, were sent questionnaires. Information was sought regarding course objectives, and curriculum. The response rate was 81% and pertained to 32 individual OHS courses (25 generalist and 7 specialist). The range of awards analysed varied from Associate Diploma to Masters level. Most courses contained a high percentage of core content ( x = 96% for generalist and 79% for specialist courses). Generalist courses devoted a considerable percentage of the core curriculum to social science ( x = 24% for Grad Dip) and science ( x = 22% for Masters). Courses varied with regard to the percentage of core curricula devoted to fieldwork ( x < 10% in Grad Dip and Masters). Most courses devoted time ( x = 18%) to research related subjects. Although WHO and OHS professional groups have identified the need to include proactive strategies in courses, less than 10% of responding institutions identified these within subject descriptions. Commonality in core curricula was found to exist in the OHS courses offered by the institutions surveyed. This occurred regardless of the award level or whether the courses were generalist or specialist in focus. There was however, variation between the percentage of core hours devoted to similar subjects. Identified outcome competencies for core content areas would simplify course development and ensure the desired skills in graduates.