EOH-IH: Industrial Hygiene

HOW TO USE THIS SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to industrial hygiene and incident management, designed to help students create safer, healthier, and more productive workplaces. The course provides practical knowledge of occupational hygiene, workplace ergonomics, safety in design, and incident investigation methodologies used across industrial sectors. Students will learn how environmental factors such as noise, vibration, illumination, ventilation, heat stress, cold stress, radiation, workplace violence, and substance abuse can impact worker health and safety. The course also explores ergonomic principles, manual material handling, workstation design, musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomic assessment tools, and risk control measures. In addition, learners will gain insights into Safety in Design concepts, including safe plant layouts, equipment design, and electrical safety. The course concludes with incident investigation and root cause analysis techniques such as 5 Why Analysis, Fishbone Analysis, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), enabling learners to identify causes of incidents and implement preventive actions. This course is delivered in alignment with the Coursera course “Industrial Hygiene and Incident Management” offered by L&T EduTech.

COURSE TEACHING OBJECTIVES

1. Analyze the fundamental principles of industrial hygiene, including the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace hazards.

2. Evaluate the impact of physical and environmental hazards (noise, vibration, illumination, ventilation, heat stress, cold stress, radiation) and behavioral concerns (workplace violence, substance abuse) on worker health and safety.

3. Apply ergonomic principles to assess and improve workstation design, manual material handling, and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders.

4. Assess the integration of safety considerations into the design of workplaces, equipment, and industrial systems, including plant layout and electrical safety.

5. Apply incident investigation and root cause analysis techniques, including 5 Why Analysis, Fishbone Analysis, FMEA, and Fault Tree Analysis, to identify causes and implement preventive actions.

6. Synthesize industrial hygiene, ergonomics, safety-in-design, and incident management principles to develop a comprehensive workplace health and safety plan.

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Articulate the core concepts and scope of industrial hygiene and occupational health.

2. Identify and evaluate physical, environmental, and behavioral hazards in the workplace and their impact on worker health.

3. Apply the hierarchy of controls to select appropriate risk control measures for occupational hazards.

4. Conduct ergonomic assessments and recommend improvements to workstation design and manual handling practices.

5. Integrate safety-in-design principles into the design of workplaces, equipment, and industrial systems.

6. Conduct incident investigations and apply root cause analysis techniques to prevent recurrence.

7. Develop a comprehensive industrial hygiene and incident management plan for a workplace setting.

ORGANIZATION OF COURSE STUDIES

The course is organized into five study periods (typically 2–3 weeks each, though self-paced). Each period includes intensive reading of the assigned textbook, viewing of the supplementary video, and a short response paper or reflective assignment (500–1,000 words) reflecting on the material and its application. Students must contact the instructor for feedback after each period.