Course Title: Human Relations and OH&S

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Human Relations and OH&S

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUIL1216	City Campus	Undergraduate	325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011
BUIL1220	Singapore Inst of Management	Undergraduate	325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt	Face-to-Face	Offsh 1 08, Offsh 1 09, Offsh 1 11, Offsh 3 09, Offsh 3 10, Offsh 3 11, Offsh1 12, Offsh1 13

Course Coordinator: Dr. Frank Boukamp

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1987

Course Coordinator Email:frank.boukamp@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8, Level 8, Room 56

Course Coordinator Availability: Tuesdays 10:30am-12:30 pm - or by appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

none

Course Description

This course deals with the important issue of occupational health and safety (OH&S) and specifically addresses OH&S issues applicable to the work of property and construction professionals and project managers. Students are introduced to the legislative framework by which OH&S is regulated. The broader industry and OH&S policy context is described and the OH&S responsibilities of property professionals, construction and project managers are explored. Students are provided with a basic level of knowledge about the management of OH&S risk and introduced to various tools and techniques that support OH&S risk management through the project lifecycle - from planning to operation and maintenance. The course focuses particular attention upon the human aspects of OH&S, concentrating on issues such as OHS leadership and organizational culture. This course aims to introduce students to concepts of human relations as they apply to OH&S in building development and construction and facilities management. The course explores a range of initiatives to promote OH&S in the built environment and case studies ate used to assist property professionals, construction and project managers to understand the practical application of OH&S concepts in ’real world’ settings. On completion of the course, students will:

Understand the relevance of OH&S to their role as property and construction professionals or project managers;

Be able to locate, assess and evaluate relevant OH&S information from a variety of sources;

Prepare OH&S documents in a style appropriate for business or project management contexts;

Understand the fundamental principles of OH&S management;

Understand the complex nature of industrial accidents and analyse causal factors in their occurrence;

Participate competently in OH&S planning activities in their work organizations; and

Appreciate that OH&S is an integral component of the work of property and construction professionals/project managers.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course focuses on the development of a number of capabilities required of property and construction professionals/project managers. In particular the course will develop the students’ ability to understand the need for evidence-based practice in the management of HR and OH&S. Students’ ability to reflect on  contentious ’real world’ issues and develop independent thinking will be developed. During class discussions, students will develop their ability and confidence to communicate their ideas to their peers. The assignment will develop students’ ability: (i) to source, comprehend and critically evaluate information; i) to apply appropriate analytical skills; and (iii) to develop their written communication skills.

With reference to RMIT’s stated graduate capabilities, the course will develop the following:

• 1.2  The ability to seek further knowledge and knowledge as part of life long learning;
• 1.4  The ability to undertake and apply research in professional activities;
• 3.3 The ability to progress from simple data and information collection towards more detailed analysis, synthesis and evaluation;
• 3.4 The ability to apply self-discipline and independent thought to produce a practically-oriented professional outcome;
• 3.5  The ability to work as part of a multi-disciplined team member;
• 4.1  The ability to communicate with a wide range of clients, authorities, professionals and others;
• 4.2  The ability to ask appropriate questions, listen to, use the answer to properly inform of the outcome;
• 4.3  The ability to receive and synthesize information from a wide range of sources to achieve an informed outcome;
• 6.1: The ability to be socially aware;
• 6.2 The ability to apply appropriate practices and regulations in the work environmentg, including health and safety practices;
• 6.4  The ability to recognise and deal with cultural issues within organizations; and
• 7.3 The ability to clearly articulate and promote an ethical position that guides personal behaviour in all aspects of professional practice.

Capabilities learned through completing this course will be developed subsequently in the following courses:
• Construction Management;
• Advanced Construction Management;
• Property Law; and
• IR and Dispute Resolution.

The course aims to provide students with basic knowledge, skills and abilities they will be able to use in the management of OH& in their future professional careers. The emphasis is on the development of practical skills, which can be directly transferred to the work environment.   At the conclusion of this course students will:

Understand the role and relevance of OH&S to their chosen profession;

Be able to locate, evaluate and understand the status of various types of published OH&S documentation;

Be able to prepare OH&S management documentation;

Understand the role of the key OH&S players in the Australian property/construction industry;

Understand and be able to apply basic principles of OH&S management in a work environment;

Be able to analyse incident data, identify contributing causes and prepare an incident report document; and

Be aware of current industry initiatives to improve the OH&S performance of the property/construction sector;

Overview of Learning Activities

The course will be delivered using a mix of formal instruction and practical activities undertaken in class.

Overview of Learning Resources

Details are available in part B of this course guide.

Overview of Assessment

Assessment details are provided in part B of this course guide.

To pass this course, students are required to attempt all assessment tasks and to obtain a minimum of 50% overall. In addition to that, student also needs to obtain at least 40% in the final exam to obtain a pass.
The method of assessment as described in this course guide may be altered by the lecturer with the approval of the program coordinator and the agreement of 70% of the students enrolled in the course. Any alterations will be notified to all students concerned in writing.