New university course: Bachelor in Occupational Health and Safety (Hons)

The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that between 2010 and 2014, over 15,000 accidents occurred at Malta’s workplaces. Tragically, 20 individuals also lost their lives while at work during the same period. Although the statistics do not paint a positive picture, they only tell half the story. Many occupational accidents go unreported, while reliable data on occupational illnesses and diseases that are caused by other factors are not available. In fact, for every person injured following an occupational accident, many more suffer from occupational diseases such as work-related stress, repetitive strain injuries like back and neck pain and lung problems, among others.

Injury statistics are lower today than they were 10 years ago, but it is evident that a lot more still needs to be done in Malta to avoid accidents and ill health at work. But how can this problem be tackled? Nobody deserves to go to work, only to return home injured, or not return at all. Nobody should accept that their back pain is an acceptable or unpreventable consequence of their job. Since 1997, the Centre for Labour Studies at the University of Malta has been offering a popular diploma in Occupational Health and Safety − many of the health and safety practitioners who make a difference in Maltese workplaces are graduates of this course. However, as workplaces evolve and become more complex, health and safety too must change to reflect this new, ever-transforming reality. In order to protect the current and future generations of workers, the Centre for Labour Studies has designed a new course to reflect this new occupational reality: a bachelor degree in Occupational Health and Safety with Honours.

This much-needed course, which replaces the aforementioned diploma, will run for a period of five years of part-time study, with lectures taking place in the evenings. Taught by a mix of academics and professionals working in the field, it will provide those who undertake it with the theoretic, as well as practical knowledge and skills to operate in a highly competent manner within diverse occupational health and safety situations. Topics taught within the course are diverse and will include health and safety law; safety; management; occupational psychology; ergonomics; occupational health and hygiene; toxicology; environmental health and health promotion.

University of Malta degrees are recognised both locally and internationally, providing graduates with the opportunity to work as Health and Safety professionals in Malta and beyond. In fact, the Bachelor in Occupational Health and Safety is also an accredited course by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) as meeting the academic requirements for graduate membership. Based in the United Kingdom, IOSH is the largest Health and Safety membership organisation in the world with 44,000 members in over 120 countries.

The course is open to individuals who possess the University’s General Entry Requirements, as well as mature students aged 23 or over (through the Maturity Clause). Mature students who have not obtained a SEC level pass at Grade 3 or higher in English Language must sit for an English proficiency exam, to be held on 21 January. Mature applicants will also be required to sit for an interview on 25 January. Candidates are invited to apply via the University of Malta website www.um.edu.mt/apply. The closing date for receipt of applications is 15 January for Maturity Clause applicants and 22 January for all other applicants.

Further information on the programme of studies can be found at www.um.edu.mt/cls or www.um.edu.mt/courses. Alternatively you can contact the Centre for Labour Studies on 2340 2731 or by email: cls@um.edu.mt