PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

                                                            SFT 649

 

TEXTBOOK: Physical and Biological Hazards of the Workplace,1994, Wald Peter H. and Gregg M. Stave.  John Wiley and Sons Inc. New York , ISBN No. 0-442-01677-8

PREREQUISITES: 647 or 554 or equivalent or consent of the instructor.

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS: The student needs to be able to access the Internet for research purposes.

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. John A. Singley

                            212C Communications Building

                            Office hours posted in the department, see the department Secretary

                            Telephone 696-3067

                            Email - Singley@marshall.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course will cover sources of biological and physical hazards including exposures for various industries and occupations.  Hazard controls and preventive techniques are covered.

CREDITS: Three

LEARNING OUTCOME EXPECTED:  The students will understand the sources of physical hazards including ergonomics hazards, dangers of shift work, hazards of temperature and pressure extremes, noise and magnetic fields dangers.  Biological agents are covered from infectious diseases to endotoxin.  The students also will understand the environmental settings covering physical and biological hazards.  The course will also cover exposure routes and measurement guidelines.  In addition, normal human physiology, pathophysiology and pathobiology will be reviewed.  The student will develop an appreciation for controls of such hazards as well as preventive techniques such as medical surveillance.  Further, OSHA standards and NIOSH guidelines for physical and biological hazards will be discussed. 

EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT PROGRESS: The student will be responsible for both lecture and textbook material .  The lecture material will not necessarily follow the textbook material, as listed under the course outline.  A term paper about some aspect of physical or biological hazards will be required of each student.  In addition, the student will be required to give a 15 minute oral presentation about their paper.  The presentation should not be a reading of the paper, but a synopsis of the topic.  Strictly reading the paper will result in a reduction in the grade for the paper and report.  The topic of the paper is left to the student.  However, the student is cautioned not to choose too broad a topic.  The paper should be at least 15 pages in length and should reflect scholarly work on the part of the student well beyond the Internet. In addition, at least 12 references are required, not including your textbook.   Moreover, the paper should follow a format that is similar to papers published in leading safety or industrial hygiene publications.  Examples of such publications are available in the department library and in the  Marshall libraries.  The first draft of the paper is due the seventh (7th) week of class, with the final paper due the eleventh (11th) week of class.  Late papers will receive a lower grade based on the following schedule: one day to one week, one letter grade; eight days to two weeks, two letter grades; greater than two weeks will result in a failing grade.  The term papers are expected to be consistent with good scholarship and should reflect research by the student well beyond the Internet.  The methods of citations and bibliography are the Chicago Manual of Style format.  This format can be found on the Internet.       


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GRADES: Quizzes 45% (15% each), Term paper and oral presentation 15%, Final examination (comprehensive) 35%, attendance 5%

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance at each class is expected and attendance will be taken.  Excessive absences will result in a lower grade.  Further, since students are preparing to enter a profession where they will become part of a management system and will be expected to be

punctual for meetings and with their reports, tardiness for classes will be noted and could result also in a lower grade.  There will be no class during scheduled University holidays and breaks. 

POLICY STATEMENT: There will be no excused absences except for those discussed below.  Absences from quizzes may be honored, if accompanied by a physician’s excuse, subject to the approval of the instructor.  Absences for business reasons or for an immediate family emergency may be considered, subject to the approval of the instructor,  if contact is made with the instructor on a timely basis.  Since a new quiz must be prepared you will need to make arrangements with the instructor about making up a quiz.  The use of tobacco in any form is prohibited in the classroom.  Students shall not wear hats in the classroom, unless it is necessary for a religious or medical purpose.  All student activities and work products including, but limited to, term papers and quizzes are subject to the rules covering academic dishonesty as defined and described in the graduate catalog.  Students also need to pay attention to each other’s oral presentations since the final will include some questions from the presentation materials.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Wk 1    Introduction to physical hazards.  Pp 531-552; 11-17

Wk 2    Ergonomic hazards and Upper extremity Musclosketetal Disorders.  Pp 347-402; 17-20

Wk 3    Manual Material Handling.  Pp 363-372

Wk 4    Hour Quiz 1

Wk 5    Temperature extremes.  Pp 319-345

Wk 6    High and Low Pressure Environments.  Pp 16-17

Wk 7    Shift work.  No readings

Wk 8    Hour Quiz 2

Wk 9     Non Ionizing Radiation- Ultraviolet, Visible light, Infrared and Lasers.  Pp 296-314

Wk 10   Microwave, Radio frequency and ELF energy.  Pp 273-295

Wk 11   General Principles of Microbiology and Infectious Disease.  Pp 403-413

Wk 12   Prevention of Illness from Biological Hazards.  Pp 413-428

Wk 13   Hour Quiz 3

Wk 14   Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi Rickettsia and Parasites.  Pp 428-440

Wk 15   Wood dust.  Pp 575-576; 410 and oral presentations.

Wk 16   Final examination (comprehensive)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
American Conference of Governmental Hygienists (ACGIH) Documentation of Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents in the Environment, 1991, ACGIH, Cincinnati, OH

Patty’s Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Vol 1, parts A & B , 4th Edition, G.D Clayton and  F.F Clayton, John Wiley & Sons, NY NY

Physical and Biological Hazards of the Workplace, 1994, Peter W. Wald and Greeg M. Stove, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 115 Fifth Ave, NY NY 10003.