A description of the courses is given below. In the listing, the (001) suffix indicates that the course is offered on campus and the (088) suffix indicates that the course is offered at distance.Note: The official course description can be consulted on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar.
Fall term
Work and Environment Epidemiology I (OCCH-603-001) (OCCH-603-088)
This course provides students with basic knowledge of statistics as applied to occupational health.
Monitoring Occupational Environment (OCCH-604-001) (OCCH-604-088)
Principles and practices of environmental and biological monitoring of workplace hazards. Familiarization with instrumentation and calibration procedures. Students learn to identify workplace health hazards, develop effective sampling strategies, use industrial hygiene equipment and interpret results of exposure measurements. (Currently not offered)
Principles of Toxicology (OCCH-612-001) (OCCH-612-088)
General principles of toxicology, routes of toxicant entry, human organs as targets of toxic action, adverse effects, time-course of reaction to toxicants. Risk assessment techniques, in vivo-in vitro toxicity models, links between human population observations and animal, cellular and biochemical models.
Topics in Occupational Health: Disability Management (OCCH-614-088)
This course explores the key concepts of Disability Management. A multi-disciplinary approach to program development will be put forward, based on recognized theoretical foundations. Characteristics and patterns of disability will be identified as well as the impact of disability on the workplace. Government legislation and regulations will be reviewed as well as the influence of non-governmental organizations. Multiple models of disability management will be presented - assessment and evaluation of various return-to-work processes will be undertaken, with a goal of site-specific disability management program development and implementation.
Occupational Hygiene (OCCH-616-001) (OCCH-616-088)
An introduction to the principles and practices of occupational hygiene designed to provide the students with the knowledge required to identify health and safety hazards in the workplace.
Occupational Diseases (OCCH-617-088)
Review of occupational diseases by target organs: respiratory, musculo-skeletal, skin, cardiovascular, mental disorders and aggressive agents: trauma, physical agents, solvents and metals. Also covered are occupational cancers, conditions associated with hypo and hyperbaric environments, mutagenicity, teratogenicity and reproductive disorders.
Physiology of Work and Ergonomics (OCCH-627-088)
Provide students with a basic knowledge of physiological and psychological work requirements, ergonomic approach to work-related health problems and application of this type of approach to preventive and corrective measures.
Biostatistics for Health Professionals (EPIB-507)
Basic principles of statistical inference applicable to clinical, epidemiologic, and other health research. Topics include: methods of describing data, statistical inference for means, statistical inference for proportions, non-parametric statistics, correlation and introduction to linear regression.
Winter term
Occupational Health Practice (OCCH-602-001)(OCCH-602-088)
This course describes organizational models and everyday activities of an occupational health and safety department within a large corporation, or within small and medium sized enterprises. Students will be introduced to the historical development of occupational health, particularly in North America. The roles of the occupational health team members are analysed with regard to their independent and interdependent functions. Several theories are put forward as theoretical frameworks for occupational health service developement and program implementation. The structure of an occupational health facility will be discussed based on workplace needs assessment, and various delivery modeles will be explored. An overview of pertinent legislation and regulations will be included. Resource management, including financial considerations will be addressed, as will the building of effective business proposals. Selected health programs within an OHS service will be put forward.
Biological Hazards (OCCH-608-001) (OCCH-608-088)
Biological hazards and infectious diseases susceptible of being acquired at work and the several preventive and protective measures. Topics include airborne, foodborne, bloodborne, vectorborne infectious diseases, bioterrorism and mold toxicity.
Occupational Safety Practice (OCCH-615-001) (OCCH-615-088)
Principles of safety and loss prevention; incident investigations and analyses; occupational safety management tools; loss recognition; safety standards, guidelines and legislation. Selected topics include: fire prevention; workshop, tool and machine safety; fall protection; laboratory safety; confined space entry; safe work permit systems; and material handling.
Social and Behavioral Aspects of Occupatiomal Health (OCCH-624-088)
This course explores the social science of occupational health practice, and describes influences on that practice of recent political, social and economic changes in the workforce and at the workplace; the theory of health promotion; management skills; and evaluation methods.
Work and Environment Epidemiology II (OCCH-625-001)(OCCH-625-088)
This course seeks to prepare students to evaluate the relationships between exposure to workplace contaminants and workers' health. The course reviews the main concepts of epidemiology as they apply to occupational health.
Basics of Physical Health Hazards (OCCH-626-088)
Basics of hearing conservation, health effects of electromagnetism, ionizing radiation safety and ventilation controls. For each of these agents, basic properties, mechanisms of action, health effects, engineering control methods, exposure standards and safety measures are studied. Basic ventilation strategies for industry are also covered.
Environmental Risks to Health (OCCH-635-088)
Focuses on pathways of exposure from industry to non working populations, on measurements of exposure and observation of effects, modelling and prediction of effects. Identifying, assessing and adapting existing data to predict effects given new exposures is a major theme. Spatial analysis, risk communication and disaster response are covered, too. (Currently not offered)
Advanced Ergonomics (EDKP-640)
This course examines the biomechanical aspects of some common motion disorders associated with the workplace. Recent knowledge in this area will be used to gain a better understanding and develop problem-solving skills related to issues such as risk factors, activity status, injury mechanisms, movement compensations and work adaptation strategies.
Additional term or more than one term
Physical Health Hazards (OCCH-605-001)
Course covers hearing conservation, health effects of electromagnetism, ionizing radiation safety and ventilation controls. For each of these agents, properties, mechanisms of action, health effects, engineering control methods, exposure standards and safety measures are studied. Ventilation strategies for industry are also covered.
Integrative Examination (OCCH-600-001) (OCCH-600-088)
This is a requirement for final year students. Specific details are provided from faculty.
Research project: occupational health and safety (OCCH-699-001) (OCCH-699-088)
PhD Courses
PhD Comprehensive Examination. (OCCH-700-001)
Occupational health and Hygiene Seminars (OCCH-706-001)
A critical appraisal of the occupational health sciences literature which addresses issues in hygiene, safety, epidemiology and toxicology. Students will develop a critical sense of the literature and increase their understanding of different paradigms.