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2020/2021

Health and Safety at Work

Code: 100483 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500258 Labour Relations OB 3 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Loly Fernández Carou
Email:
Loly.Fernandez@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

Morning group. In case of international students attending the course the language could become Spanish, after agreeing it with the rest of the group.

Prerequisites

GROUP 1 / Loly Fernández Carou / Catalan-Spanish

GROUP 51 / Loly Fernández Carou/ Catalan-Spanish

Objectives and Contextualisation

The fundamental objective of this subject is to acquire a global vision of the relationships between work, health and welfare, of the factors that have an impact on the generation of damage to health, labour accident rate, preventative and management systems and the ways of organizing occupational risk prevention, taking into account technical, legal, organizational, psychosocial and labor relations aspects.

In this sense, the specific objectives are the following:

- To know the basic concepts of occupational health, learn to contextualize them and make them operative.

- To know the distribution of responsibilities in the field of prevention of occupational hazards, the legal framework and the preventive principles that guide it.

- Toknowthe more frequent risk factors in the workplace, its identification and how to prevent them.

- To know the ways to organize the prevention at company level, as well as the participation of workers in the field of prevention of occupational hazards.

- To know the main sources of information and the specialised organizations on occupational health and safety.

 

Competences

  • Advising union and business organizations and their members.
  • Clearly expressing ideas or facts in a compelling way.
  • Contextualising the social events from a (geographical, historical, economic, ecological, sociopolitical or cultural) global point of view.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Drawing up and formalising reports and documents.
  • Identify the foundations of the main legal and organisational areas in the field of human work.
  • Identifying, analysing and solving complex problems and situations from an (economic, historical, legal, psychological, and sociological) interdisciplinary perspective.
  • Planning, designing, consulting and managing occupational risk prevention systems.
  • Self-motivating by undertaking specific training programs to acquire new knowledge.
  • Working autonomously.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Clearly expressing ideas or facts in a compelling way.
  2. Defining the basic concepts of the relations between society and a company.
  3. Defining the industrial relations systems.
  4. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  5. Drawing up and formalising reports and documents.
  6. Recognising the psychosocial factors of a company.
  7. Relating the ergonomics, workloads and other health-related and occupational safety issues.
  8. Self-motivating by undertaking specific training programs to acquire new knowledge.
  9. Students must know the basic concepts of the social organization of labour in a company.
  10. Students must know the basic concepts related to the social agents of industrial relations.
  11. Understanding and relating the working conditions of a company to security and health at work in that company.
  12. Understanding the basic concepts of illnesses and labour and occupational accidents.
  13. Understanding the problems derived from conflict in the industrial relations.
  14. Working autonomously.

Content

The subject will provide knowledge on the following topics:

1. WORK, RISK AND HEALTH
1.1. Evolution of ways of losing health and risk prevention policies. Social inequalities and health. Gender and health. Public health and occupational health.
1.2. Relation between work and health. The concepts of risk and hazard. Evolution of work pathologies.
1.3. The damages to health: Accidents and occupational diseases. Concepts, definitions and legal consequences.

2. SAFETY POLICIES AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
2.1. Evolution of preventive models. The regulation of health in the workplace. Preventive principles in force in the legislation in Europe, Spain and Catalonia.
2.2. The labour risk prevention law. Preventive organization: modalities and practices. The Prevention Services. The Delegates of Prevention. Health and Safety Committees at Work. The management of risks prevention and the system of labor relations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            2.3. International, state and catalan organizations related to safety and health at work.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             2.4. The role of the 'Mutuas', Labor Inspection, Trade Unions, Catalan Labour Tribunal and other agencies related to occupational health.

3. ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF LABOR RISKS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3.1.  The labour risk prevention law. The role of the risk assesment in the management of occupational hazards. Type of evaluations: by measurement and by estimation. Acceptable risk and social perception of risk. Contextual analysis of risky behaviors. Gender inequalities in the evaluation of occupational risks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3.2. Preventive transversal activities for the occupational risk control: training, information, corporate actvities coordination, particulary sensitive workers and workers with special needs.                                                                   3.3. Health surveillance and analysis of damages to health: epidemiological reasoning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             3.4. Emergency plans

4. RISK FACTORS IN THE LABOR SCOPE
4.1. Material conditions.
4.2. Physical, chemical and biologic pollutants.
4.3. Environmental conditions, sick Building Syndrome, Semicircular Lipoatrophy.
4.4. Physic workload, musculoskeletal disorder.
4.5.  Psychosocial factors and stress, moral harassment at work, organization of working time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      4.6. Work Management: tonicity, work time and teleworking.

5. MONITORING AND CONTROL OF LABOUR CONDITION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              5.1. The Prevention Plan, planning of preventive activity and periodic control of work conditions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    5.2. Accident and event investigation: frequency measure, accident rate. Organizations' learning.

5.3. Continuous improvement

Methodology

In accordance with the criteria proposed, the subject will have the following teaching methodology:
 
1- Theoretical classes
During the course, teachers will present the main concepts and theoretical frameworks for each unit of study.
 
2- Seminars
The seminars will consist of the discussion, exposition and debate of a series of practical cases and of selected readings on the thematic contents of the subject. At the beginning of the course the teacher will provide  the calendar of discussions and debates.
 
3- Team work
Groups of 3-4 people will be organized. Each group will have to do a job that combines reading materials with empirical data on working conditions and risk prevention. The teacher will give detailed instructions at the beginning of the course.
 
4- Search for information and oral presentations
Throughout the course each student will have to prepare a public presentation based on the reading materials and / or the information collected to do the team work. These exhibitions will be held in groups, following a calendar that will be established at the beginning of the course.
 
5- Self-organized work of the student
Each student will have to prepare to answer one individual written test, as well as do the team work and the conceptual maps of the lectures that will be discussed in the classroom.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes 22.5 0.9 11, 3, 12, 13, 6, 7
Type: Supervised      
Oral presentations and information search 22.5 0.9 4, 1
Seminars 7.5 0.3 4, 12, 6, 7
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous organization of the student 47.5 1.9 2, 14
Team work 45 1.8 11, 5

Assessment

In accordance with these criteria, the assessment of the subject will consist of:
a) An individual written exam (50%)
b) Team work (30%)
c) Seminars (20%)
 
At the beginning of the course, the teachers will give detailed instructions and timetables.
To pass the subject it is essential to approve sections a) and b) separately.
In the event that someone does not take the exams or group work, it will be considered 'Not Appraising'.
In the recovery exam, the maximum grade to reach will be an 'approved' one.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exam 50% 2 0.08 8, 11, 9, 10, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 6, 7, 14
Seminar 25% 2 0.08 4, 1, 5
Team work 25% 1 0.04 8, 11, 5, 14

Bibliography

References:

Comisión Europea (1996) Directrices para la evaluación de riesgos en el lugar de trabajo. Luxemburgo: Oficina de Publicaciones Oficiales de las Comunidades Europeas.

Espluga, Josep(1996) "Actos Inseguros en el Trabajo. Guía de intervención". Nota Técnica de Prevención 415-1996. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo, Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo.

Espluga, Josep & Caballero, Xavier (2005) Introducción a la Prevención de Riesgos Laborales. Del trabajo a la salud. Barcelona: Ariel. (capítols 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Vega Martínez, Sofia (2003) “Riesgo psicosocial: el modelo demanda-control-apoyo social (I). Notas Técnicas de Prevención, núm. 603. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo – INSHT.

Vega, Sofia (2003) “Riesgo psicosocial: El modelo demandas-control-apoyo social (II)”. Notas Técnicas de Prevención, núm. 604. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo – INSHT.

 

Basics:

Espluga, Josep; Caballero, Xavier (2005) Introducción a la prevención de los riesgos laborales. Del Trabajo a la Salud. Barcelona: Ariel.

Generalitat de Catalunya (2010) Manual per a la identificació i avaluació de riscos laborals (versió 3.2). Barcelona: Direcció General de Relacions Laborals (Departament de Treball de la Generalitat de Catalunya). [URL: http://scur.cat/4PFE87 ]

Ruiz-Frutos, C.; Delclos, J.; Ronda, E.; García, A.M.; Benavides, F.G. (2014) Salud laboral. Conceptos y técnicas para la prevención de riesgos laborales. Barcelona: Masson (Elsevier España).

 

Complementary:

Adam, P.; Herzlich, C. (1994) Sociologie de la maladie et de la médecine. París: Nathan.

Ahlbom, A.; Norell, S. (2000). Fundamentos de Epidemiología. Madrid: Siglo XXI.

Beck, U. (1998) La Sociedad del riesgo. Barcelona: Paidós.

Benach J. i Muntaner C. (2005): Aprender a mirar la salud. El Viejo Topo. Barcelona.

Bilbao, A. (1997) El accidente de trabajo: entre lo negativo y lo irreformable. Madrid: Siglo XXI.

Borrell, C. (1998) Les desigualtats socials en la salut. Barcelona: Ajuntament de Barcelona.

Castillo, J.J.; Prieto C. (1990) Las Condiciones de Trabajo. Madrid: C.I.S.

Cox, T.; Griffiths, A.; Rial-González, E. (2000) Work-related stress. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Durán, F. (2001) Informe sobre riesgos laborales y su prevención. Madrid: Presidencia del Gobierno.

Espluga, J. (2006) “Siniestralidad laboral y sociedad del riesgo. Paradojas de un desencuentro”, Sociología del Trabajo, núm. 58, p. 137-158.

Espluga, J.; Caballero, J. (2005) Introducción a la prevención de los riesgos laborales. Del Trabajo a la Salud. Barcelona: Ariel.

Espluga, J.; Lemkow, L.; Baltiérrez, J.; Kieselbach, T. (2004) Desempleo juvenil, exclusión social y salud. Investigaciones, experiencias y acciones institucionales en España. Barcelona: Icària.

Eurofound (2012) Fifth European Working Conditions Survey, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. [www.eurofound.europa.eu]

García Benavides, F.; Ruíz Frutos, C.; García García, A.M. Salud laboral. Conceptos y técnicas para la prevención de riesgos laborales. Barcelona: Masson, 2000. (2a edició)

Gómez-Cano, M.; González Fernández, E.; López Muñoz, G.; Rodríguez de Prada, A. (1996) Evaluación de riesgos laborales. Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo.

Grupo de Trabajo para el establecimiento de los Valores Límite de Exposición Profesional españoles (2018). Límites de exposición profesional para agentes químicos en España 2018. Madrid: INSHT.

Karasek, R. (1998) “El modelo demandas-control: Enfoque social, emocional y fisiológico del riesgo de estrés y desarrollo de comportamientos activos”. En: OIT, Enciclopedia de Salud y Seguridad en el Trabajo. Madrid: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.

Kauppinen, K.; Kumpulainen, R.; Houtman, I. (2003) Gender Issues in safety and health at work. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.[http://agency.osha.eu.int]

Lazarsfeld, P.; Jahoda, M.; Zeisel, H. (1996) Los parados de Marienthal. Madrid: Ediciones de la Piqueta.

Marí, V. (2001) Guia d’avaluació de riscos. Barcelona: Departament de Treball de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

Martí, O. (1995) Introducció a la medicina social. Barcelona: ICESB.

McKeown, T. (1986) Introducción a la medicina social. México: Siglo XXI.

Mckeown, T. (2006): Los orígenes de las enfermedades humanas. Triacastela. Madrid.

Merletti, F.; Olsen, J.; Vuylsteek, K. (1990) Estudio de las causas de las enfermedades laborales. Introducción a la epidemiología laboral. Barcelona: SG Editores.

Montero, J.M. (1986) Análisis sociológico de los accidentes laborales. El sector marítimo-pesquero. Madrid: Instituto Social de la Marina.

Moreno, N.& Solé, M.D. (dir.) (2005) Dones, salut itreballs. Barcelona: CTESC.

Nogareda, C. (coord.) (2000) Condiciones de trabajo y salud. Madrid: Instituto de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo.

Peiró, J.M. (1999) Desencadenantes del estrés laboral. Madrid: Pirámide.

Pérez Bilbao, J.; Nogareda Cuixart, C.; Martín Daza, F.; Sancho Figueroa, T. (2001) Mobbing, violencia física y acoso sexual. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo – INSHT.

Prieto, C. (1994) Trabajadores y  Condiciones de Trabajo. Madrid: Hoac.

Ruiz-Frutos, C.; Delclos, J.; Ronda, E.; García, A.M.; Benavides, F.G. (2014) Salud laboral. Conceptos y técnicas para la prevención de riesgos laborales. Barcelona: Masson (Elsevier España).

Sennet, R. (2000) La corrosión del carácter. Las consecuencias personales del trabajo en el nuevo capitalismo. Barcelona: Anagrama.

Vega Martínez, S. (2003) “Riesgo psicosocial: el modelo demanda-control-apoyo social (I). Notas Técnicas de Prevención, núm. 603. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo – INSHT.

Vega, S. (2003) “Riesgo psicosocial: El modelo demandas-control-apoyo social (II)”. Notas Técnicas de Prevención, núm. 604. Barcelona: Centro Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo – INSHT.

Vogel, L. (1995). “El descubrimiento del Síndrome Ardystil: discurso médico y relaciones entre precarización y salud”. Sociología del Trabajo, núm. 23, p. 111-127.

Vogel, L. (2003) The gender workplace health gap in Europe. Brussels: TUTB.

White, K. (2002) Sociology of Health and Illness. London: Sage.

WHO (2007): The social determinants of health: Developing an evidence base for political action. Final report to WHO, comission on the social determinants of health.

Wilkinson, R.G. (2001): Las desigualdades perjudican. Crítica. Barcelona