Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Occupational Medicine and Occupational Protection
Course Code
AUVMK_061
Branch of Science
Clinical medicine
ECTS
9.00
Target Audience
Public Health
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Ivars Vanadziņš
Structure Unit Manager
Jeļena Reste
Structural Unit
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Contacts
Riga, 14 Balozu Street, avmk@rsu.lv, +371 67060816
About Study Course
Objective
The objective of the course is to learn the theoretical basis of occupational medicine, occupational health and safety, as well as practical methods of predicting, identifying, assessing, controlling, preventing or reducing the effects of various risk factors in the working environment on workers’ health, and dealing with emergency situations.
Preliminary Knowledge
Prior knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, physiology, environmental health, internal medicine, neurology is required.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.After successfully completing the study course programme, the student will have a basic knowledge of occupational health and safety, occupational medicine will be able to: • recognise occupational diseases, work-related diseases; • list the risk factors of the work environment – physical risk factors, chemical risk factors, biological risk factors, ergonomic risk factors, psychosocial and organisational risk factors; • recognise the markings of hazardous chemicals; • retell the most important indicators of toxicometry and their role in the substantiation of hygiene standards; • define what ergonomics is, be able to name the types of ergonomics, the main problems that ergonomics deals with; • explain how occupational diseases are diagnosed in Latvia; • describe the procedure for compulsory health examinations in Latvia; • outline preventive measures to avoid health risks, improve workers’ health and prevent occupational diseases; • explain the main tasks of occupational health and safety, individual responsibilities and describe hazardous situations, actions and preventive measures.
Skills
1.After successfully completing the study course programme, the student will be able to: • apply key laws and regulations governing occupational protection; • systematise the main principles of occupational protection; • recommending personal protective equipment for workers; • critically analyse and assess risk factors in the work environment; • measure noise levels in the environment, measure lighting in the work environment, measure microclimatic indicators in the environment, measure vibration in the environment, measure electromagnetic fields in the work environment; • apply the main requirements of occupational safety and health when dealing with hazardous situations.
Competences
1.After successfully completing the study course programme, the student will be able to: • assess changes in the human body associated with exposure to various risk factors in the work environment; • assess a person’s suitability to work under different risk factors; • classify dangerous chemicals; • deal with issues related to health and safety at work; • apply the most important laws and documentation of occupational protection in connection with occupational health and occupational medicine issues; • discuss occupational health and occupational medicine issues within the occupational health team; • assess emergency situations and act accordingly, taking into account the basic principles of occupational safety and health protection.
Assessment
Individual work
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Individual work |
-
|
-
|
|
Independent learning – creating a project to improve occupational health.
|
||
Examination
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Tests |
-
|
10 points
|
|
Tests during the course |
||
|
2.
Independent work |
-
|
10 points
|
|
Independent work - building a project to improve working health |
||
|
3.
Exam |
-
|
10 points
|
Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Occupational health and related problems in the world and in Latvia. Health monitoring systems of employees in the world and in Latvia.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Principles of occupational diseases, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, rehabilitation of occupational diseases. The most important groups of occupational diseases. Work-related diseases.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Specialized room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Occupational and Radiation Medicine Centre of P. Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital and operations thereof. National register of persons suffering from an occupational disease and Chernobyl NPP disaster victims. Health problems of Chernobyl NPP disaster responders.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The specifics of work of young people and women. Effects of occupational factors on reproductive function.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Introduction to labor protection: in Latvia and the world. Organization of internal monitoring of the working environment in companies. Occupational safety and health system in Latvia.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Laboratory
|
4
|
Topics
|
Evaluation of the work environment risk factors in a company. Mechanical risk factors in the work environment.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
The role of toxicology and ecotoxicology in occupational and environmental health. Chemical risk factors of the work environment.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Laboratory
|
4
|
Topics
|
Principles of classification and labelling of chemicals and products. REACH principles.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Chemical substances/mixtures material safety data sheets compilation. Working with MSDS examples. Identification of chemicals for laboratory measurements.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Ergonomic risk factors of the work environment. Work with a computer, impact thereof on the health of employees.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Ergonomic risk factors in the work environment: assessment, consequences and preventive measures. Ergonomic risk assessment in the work environment
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Physical risk factors at workplaces (microclimate, light, noise, vibration).
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Laboratory
|
4
|
Topics
|
Assessment of physical work environment risk factors in the work environment (noise, vibration, lighting, microclimate). Assessment, consequences and preventive measures.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Ionizing and non-ionizing (optical) radiation in the work environment: assessment, consequences and preventive measures.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
4
|
Topics
|
Accreditation of laboratories. Basic principles of measurement and sampling in the work environment. Assessment of dust and fibers in the work environment. Indoor air quality: assessment, consequences and preventive measures.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Mechanical risk factors in the work environment. Accidents at work.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Mandatory health examination procedure and preventive measures.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Collective and individual means of protection, principles of their selection.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Accidents at work and their investigation procedure. Near misses.
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
6.00
Contact hours:
56 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Part 2
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Occupational pathology caused by chemicals. Poisoning with heavy metals (lead, mercury, etc.), poisoning with organic solvents. Occupational oncological diseases. Acute and chronic health disorders caused by ionizing radiation. The main health problems of Chernobyl nuclear power plant emergency responders.
|
|
Musculoskeletal and nervous system occupational diseases caused by physical overload. Compression neuropathies. Occupational diseases caused by physical factors: vibration disease, noise-induced hearing loss. Psychoemotional factors and stress at work. Burnout syndrome.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Occupational respiratory diseases caused by dust, irritating and toxic chemicals. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Pneumoconiosis. Asbestosis and other diseases caused by asbestos. Bronchitis of dust etiology. Occupational diseases caused by organic dust. Allergic occupational diseases. Biological risk factors in the work environment. Infectious diseases of occupational etiology (tuberculosis, viral hepatitis).
|
|
Collective and individual means of protection, principles of their selection.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Musculoskeletal and nervous system occupational diseases caused by physical overload. Compression neuropathies. Occupational diseases caused by physical factors: vibration disease, noise-induced hearing loss. Psychoemotional factors and stress at work. Burnout syndrome.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Procedures for employee training and instruction.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Employee productivity and work ability. Work ability index as a tool for evaluating workers' health, survey principles and data collection, evaluation.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
4
|
Topics
|
Principles of health promotion at workplaces. Health promotion in the work environment - possible groups of measures (including vaccinations, screenings, etc.).
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
24 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Eglīte M. Darba medicīna. 2. papildinātais izdevums, - Rīga, 2012. – 701 lpp. (akceptējams izdevums)
2.
Darba apstākļi un riski Latvijā, 2017-2018. 2020.
3.
Darba apstākļi un veselība darbā. – Rīga: LR Labklājības ministrija, 2010. – 163 lpp. (akceptējams izdevums)
4.
Jayjock M.A., Lynch J.R., Nelson D.I. Risk Assessment Principles for the Industrial Hygiene. - Fairfax: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2000, - Pp.63-83.
5.
Kaļķis V., Roja Ž. „Darba vides riska faktori un strādājošo veselības aizsardzība., Rīga, Elpa, 2001., - 510lpp (akceptējams izdevums)
6.
Kaļķis V., Darba vides risku novērtēšanas metodes.- Rīga: Latvijas izglītības fonds, 2008. – 242 lpp. (akceptējams izdevums)
7.
MacLeod D., MA, MPH, Jacobs Ph, MS, CSP Larson M, MS The Ergonomics Manual, The Saunders Group, Inc., 1990.
8.
Occupational Medicine. Editor C. Zenc. Third edition. – St. Louis, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago: Mosby Year Book Inc., 1994.- 840 p.
Additional Reading
1.
Darba drošība. – Rīga: LR Labklājības ministrija, 2010. – 278 lpp.
2.
Darba higiēna. - Rīga: LR Labklājības ministrija, 2010. – 180 lpp.
3.
Ergonomika darbā. – Rīga: LR Labklājības ministrija, 2010. – 191 lpp.
4.
Psihosociālā darba vide. – Rīga: LR Labklājības ministrija, 2010. – 191 lpp.
5.
John P., Tomberlin, Duane Saunders H., Evaluation, Treatment and Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders, vol. 1., vol. 2., 3rd ed., The Saunders Group, 1995.
Other Information Sources
1.
Matheson MC., Benke G., Raven J., et. al. Biological Dust Exposure in the Workplace is a Risk Factor for Hronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease // Thorax, 2005; 60: 645-651.
2.
Maynard A.D., Kuempel E.D. Airborne Nanostructured Particles and Occupational Health // J. Nanopart. Res., 2005; 7(6):587- 614.
3.
Maynard A.D., Pui D.,Y. Nanotechnology and Occupational Health: New Technologies – New Challenges // J. Nanopart. Res., 2007; 9:1-3.