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Occupational Safety and Health Management (Top-up) BSc Honours

This accredited top-up course will significantly boost your career options and help build positive workplace cultures in various industry sectors including health, transport and local government
Code
B9F0
Start
September 2024
Duration
1 year full-time
Usually 2 years part-time
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK)*
£16,600 (INT)*
Course leader
Michael Howard

Why choose Occupational Safety and Health Management BSc at Middlesex?

Our course has excellent graduate employment rates, with many of our graduates pursuing international careers in areas including health, transport, education and government agencies.

If you already hold a NEBOSH Certificate or Diploma in Higher Education, our occupational safety course will give you the additional knowledge, skills and practical experience you need to expand your career opportunities.

What you will gain

With input from OSH Practitioners and industry experts, you'll build your practical experience, develop communication skills, enhance your problem-solving ability and learn how to confidently carry out risk appraisals.

By choosing this top-up course, you will graduate with an accredited qualification, industry-specific skills and a holistic, multi-disciplinary understanding of the subject.

You'll gain competence in safety management and in developing and communicating suitable solutions which will open up career opportunities in sectors as diverse as universities, health care and transport.

Accreditations

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

What you will learn

Our Occupational Safety and Health Management (Top-up) BSc Honours is designed to help you graduate with the specialist skill set to competently carry out risk-based appraisals for safety, hygiene, health and environmental issues. You'll also gain the confidence to implement solutions that will create positive workplace cultures.

We also work closely with our network of employers to make sure our course meets the current needs of the industry.

This course will enable you to:

  • Learn through immersive teaching methods using both on-campus and online teaching, virtual inspections and audits and risk assessments
  • Develop an understanding of professional websites including the Barbour Index and HSE sites
  • Build your independent research skills by carrying out a research project worth 30 credits
  • Have the opportunity to study part-time. If you choose this pathway, you will complete three compulsory modules over two years and half of your research project in each year of study.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • IOSH accredited course
    This top-up course is accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
  • Broad career prospects
    You could work in a company as a health, safety and environment advisor, within a specialist consultancy, or as a self-employed practitioner. If you are already experienced it can lead to career progression
  • Resources to support student learning
    You will have access to university resources to support your learning, including access to the library

Keep informed

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Our communications are designed to support you in deciding your future and keep you up to date about student finance, employment opportunities and student activities available at Middlesex University.

There are 4 key elements to this award:

Toxicology and Occupational Hygiene

More people die as a result of exposure to harmful substances (biological, physical and chemical) than through accidents. This course therefore provides you with the skills to determine health risk and implement a hierarchy of solutions.

Work Place Safety and Management

Differing management approaches can impact workplace safety and understanding how to work in different settings to improve safety is a key outcome of the course. You will also learn how to investigate accidents and minimise the severity of incidents.

Organisational Psychology and Ergonomics

Where you work and who you work with and for is a huge part of wellbeing at work. The module looks at individual risk perceptions, safety climates and safety culture.

Environmental Management

Environmental appraisal is increasingly part of the safety professional's job profile. The module focuses on developing competence in assessment and managing environmental risks.

Modules

  • Core modules

    • Philosophy and Approaches to Health and Safety at Work (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to explore the interface of internal/external organisational drivers, leadership, law and organisational responses to the management of occupational health and safety. You will acquire skills in risk assessment and risk management as well as accident investigation and safety improvement initiatives and will explore differing approaches to safety management and impacts on safety culture, safety climate and safety behaviours.

    • Toxicology and Science Foundation (15 credits) – Compulsory

      This module provides you with the skills and knowledge that will underpin your future studies in occupational health, safety and environmental sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on chemistry for occupational hygiene and health using examples from practice to ground academic knowledge to field based experience. In addition to underpin the skills in toxicological appraisal the module will provide an overview of the way in which biological, physical and chemical agents can affect human anatomical and physiological systems.

    • Occupational hygiene, health and ergonomics (15 credits) – Compulsory

      This module aims to thoroughly appraise and evaluate the legal, theoretical and practical aspects of identifying, controlling and managing the risk presented by a range of workplace hazardous agents and to recognise the role of human/work equipment and work place setting in health and safety.

    • Workplace and Fire Safety (15 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to equip you to be able to review the causes of and methods of preventing or minimising the severity of accidents, fires and explosions with workplace structures, plant, equipment and processes. It will also equip you with the skills required to inspect workplaces and work equipment.

    • Environmental Assessment and Management (15 credits) - Optional

      This module aims to provide knowledge and insight into environmental practices of pollution prevention. A particular focus on relevant environmental practitioner requirements in industry is provided. It focuses upon common commercial pollutants and the systems that govern their control and management in the workplace also considering the policy and legal basis. Practitioner management techniques and methods are provided with the objective of developing competence in assessing and managing workplace environmental aspects to improve legal compliance and environmental performance.

    • Management of health and well-being (15 credits) - Optional

      This module aims to provide knowledge and insight into the assessment and intervention in worker and workplace well-being and wider implications in societal well-being. The module will focus on the interface between work and external stressors, impacts on mental health and stress, and practitioner mechanisms to reduce absenteeism, presenteeism, and excessive costs, as well as mechanisms to promote well-being through and at work.  The module will also explore the policy and legal basis for intervention.

    • Research Methods and Project (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to synthesise learning from your undergraduate programme providing an opportunity for you to study independently and investigate a topic in depth. It fosters academic curiosity, an inquiry based approach, the employment and application of research skills thus facilitating the development of a higher level of theorising. You will select a topic of personal interest you wish to study further and will manage your own learning during this module, with the support of an allocated supervisor for this period of independent study.

    • Management and Law (15 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to develop an appreciation of the principals and application of occupational health and safety law and the approaches and methodologies for effective management encompassing cost control through effective accident analysis and risk management.

    • Occupational Health, Hygiene and Ergonomics (15 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to develop an appreciation of the principals and application of occupational health and safety law and the approaches and methodologies for effective management encompassing cost control through effective accident analysis and risk management.

    • Risk Management and Occupational Psychology (15 credits) - Compulsory

      This module focuses on risk perceptions at both an individual and company level, developing and measuring safety climates and instigating positive safety culture.

To find out more about this highly regarded course, please download the Occupational Safety and Health Management (Top-up) BSc Honours specification (PDF).

  1. Teaching and independent learning
  2. Assessment and feedback

Environmental and occupational health suite

The environmental and occupational health suite contains industry-grade equipment which will enable you to experience the real-world process of investigation, engagement with clients, strategy development and the promotion of best practice in a business setting.

You’ll be using:

  • Our extensive collections of food and pests
  • A dedicated resource library.
  • Noise assessment equipment for both environmental and occupational exposure
  • Environmental pollution monitoring equipment
  • Occupational hygiene equipment
  • Building materials.

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open 24 hours a day during the term and includes:

  • Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
  • 350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
  • Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

How can the BSc Occupational Safety and Health Management (Top-up) support your career?

This course can open the doors to many different careers.

Graduate job roles

You could end up working in a company as a health, safety and environment advisor, or within a specialist consultancy. Many of our graduates also work overseas for international companies or become self-employed practitioners.

Graduate employers

Previous graduates have found work in the following sectors:

  • Transport for London
  • Ferrovial, St Georges
  • NHS trusts
  • Local Authorities
  • Government agencies
  • Universities
  • Human Factors Specialists
  • Facilities management
  • Health and Safety Consultancies.

MDXworks

Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has put us in the top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money 2023 and a top 10 university for producing CEOs (Novuana, 2023).

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

  1. UK entry
  2. International entry
  3. How to apply

The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • Free access to resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
  • Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free printing for academic paperwork
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

  • MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
  • Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
  • Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Ruth Plume
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health

Ruth is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. Her main research interest is investigating innovative practice in delivering environmental health regulatory services. Ruth’s teaching specialises in the professional development of environmental health students and leadership in environmental health.

Hasan Erdogan
Senior Lecturer

Hasan is an Environmental Health Practitioner with extensive experience working as a regulator specialising in occupational health and safety; a consultant operating his own business providing advice to a range of business sectors, settings and contexts and continues to provide advice at a senior level on the implementation of safety improvement plans.

David Thomas
Senior Lecturer

David is a both a Chartered Mining Engineer, a Chartered Health and Safety Professional, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He was formerly the Academic Portfolio Lead for Health and Safety programmes at the University of Greenwich and joined Middlesex University in 2020 with specific interests in the Waste Industry, Quarries, Public Sector Infrastructure, ill health caused by work and organisational resilience encompassing business continuity.

Michael Howard
Senior Lecturer in Occupational Health and Safety

Michael is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and has worked as an enforcement officer for several local authorities and as  a safety consultant.

He taught at Salford University and King's College London before coming to Middlesex in 2021.


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

Other courses

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Duration: 3 years full-time, 5 - 6 years part-time

Code: B910

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Start: September 2024

Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Code: B929

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