Announcements

Academy Documents

Kindly access the Students' Policies & Forms by clicking on the button below. The following documents, among others, can be found there: Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Students' Privacy Notice, Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation Policy, Assignment Extension Policy, Re-Sit Policy, Complaints Procedure Policy, Equality Policy, and Student Disciplinary Policy.

Students' Policies & Forms

Sessions' Venue

All sessions will be held at 21 Academy's Training Centre in Naxxar

21 Business Centre, No. 20., Triq in-Nutar Debono, Naxxar NXR 2525 - Room 3

Lecture Schedule & Notes

Lecture notes will be available during the week following the respective lecture. Schedule dates are indicative and may change. All changes, if any, may be communicated via email, SMS or telephone calls.

Lecturer

Mr Mark Lia

Lecture Summaries & Suggested Reading

Lecture 1 -The Importance of Occupational Health

• An understanding of the purpose and importance of occupational health in preventing work-related illness and protecting long-term wellbeing.
• Awareness of how occupational diseases develop over time, highlighting the need for early identification and control of health hazards.
• Knowledge of employer responsibilities in managing occupational health risks in the workplace.
• An introduction to the occupational hygiene framework used to manage health risks systematically.
• The ability to identify and classify workplace health hazards into chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial categories.

Core Reading List

• Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
  b) Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
  c) Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
  d) "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Clear introduction to occupational health, workplace hazards, and basic health practice.
  🔗 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/occupational-health---a-manual-for-primary-health-care-workersPractical, Europe-focused guidance on occupational health hazards and psychosocial risks.
  🔗 https://osha.europa.eu/enExplains anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace health hazards.
  🔗 https://www.hse.gov.uk/health/occupational-hygiene.htm

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge.

Lecture 2 - Exposure to Chemicals & Control Strategies

• An understanding of chemical hazards in the workplace, including the purpose and correct interpretation of GHS pictograms to support effective hazard communication and safe handling practices.
• Knowledge of how to select and apply appropriate control strategies, with emphasis on using multiple control measures to reduce occupational health risks associated with chemical exposure.
• The ability to analyse a workplace scenario and apply control measures in practice, demonstrating how exposure to hazardous substances can be managed systematically and effectively.

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) – Occupational health hazards and chemical risk publications
  Practical, Europe-focused guidance suitable for students.
  https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/chemical-agents

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge.

Lecture 3 -Exposure to Chemicals & Control Strategies

• An understanding of chemical hazards in the workplace, including the purpose and correct interpretation of GHS pictograms to support effective hazard communication and safe handling practices.
• Knowledge of how to select and apply appropriate control strategies, with emphasis on using multiple control measures to reduce occupational health risks associated with chemical exposure.
• The ability to analyse a workplace scenario and apply control measures in practice, demonstrating how exposure to hazardous substances can be managed systematically and effectively.

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning
• International Labour Organization (ILO) – Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety
  Comprehensive reference on occupational diseases, chemical hazards, exposure, and prevention.
  https://www.ilo.org/publications/encyclopaedia-occupational-health-and-safety

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge

Lecture 4 - Specific Occupational Health Risks and Manual Handling

•  An understanding of key occupational health risks, including noise-induced hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, manual handling hazards, chemical health risks, and psychosocial risks, and how these can affect workers over time.
• Knowledge of how work activities, equipment, environments, and individual factors contribute to occupational ill health, and the importance of risk assessment, training, and safe work practices in prevention.
• Awareness of the role of health surveillance, ergonomic control programmes, and hearing conservation programmes in detecting early signs of ill health and supporting long-term worker wellbeing.Fourth Lesson

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – Noise and Hearing at Work Practical guidance on noise risks, hearing conservation, and prevention.https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/noise
• World Health Organization – Protecting Workers’ Health Overview of occupational health risks, prevention, and surveillance.https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/occupational-health
• Health and Safety Executive – Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) Clear explanations of causes, prevention, and control of MSDs. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge

Lecture 5- OHMS and Epidemiology

An understanding of Occupational Health Management Systems (OHMS), including their purpose, key elements, benefits, and how they are used to prevent occupational ill health through systematic planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Knowledge of the principles of occupational epidemiology, including how work-related diseases are studied in groups of workers and how exposure–disease relationships support prevention, risk assessment, and health surveillance.

The ability to distinguish between different epidemiological study types (descriptive, case–control, cohort, experimental, ecological, and cross-sectional) and understand their application, strengths, and limitations in occupational health practice.

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Occupational Epidemiology
  Straightforward explanations of epidemiological methods and their use in occupational health.
  https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/epidemiology/
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – Occupational Health Management and Prevention Resources
  Practical, Europe-focused guidance on managing occupational health risks and using data for prevention.https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/occupational-health

Lecture 6 - OHMS and Epidemiology

An understanding of Occupational Health Management Systems (OHMS), including their purpose, key elements, benefits, and how they are used to prevent occupational ill health through systematic planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Knowledge of the principles of occupational epidemiology, including how work-related diseases are studied in groups of workers and how exposure–disease relationships support prevention, risk assessment, and health surveillance.

The ability to distinguish between different epidemiological study types (descriptive, case–control, cohort, experimental, ecological, and cross-sectional) and understand their application, strengths, and limitations in occupational health practice.

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Supplementary Reading List

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Occupational Epidemiology
• Straightforward explanations of epidemiological methods and their use in occupational health.
• https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/epidemiology/

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – Occupational Health Management and Prevention Resources

Practical, Europe-focused guidance on managing occupational health risks and using data for prevention.

https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/occupational-health

Lecture 7 - Case Studies

The ability to analyse realistic workplace scenarios to identify occupational health hazards related to construction activities, manual handling, exposure to hazardous substances, and vulnerable workers.

An understanding of how risk assessment, communication, and monitoring are applied in practice to prevent occupational ill health and improve decision-making in complex work situations.

Core Reading List

•  Reed S (2019) Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene - An introduction. Routledge
• Stine KE (2016) Principles of Toxicology. CRC Press.
• Toomingas A, Mathiassen SE (2016) Occupational Physiology. CRC Press
• "Epidemiology for Public Health Practice" by Robert H. Friis RH and Sellers TA (2020) Epidemiology for Public Health Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Supplementary Reading List

• Hughes P (2021) International Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge

Methods of Assessment

Assignment (100% of final grade)

Assignment

You are required to choose one of the three questions available in the Assignment Submission Form made available by clicking the button below. The assignment must be submitted no later than Thursday, 29 October 2026, along with the Assignment Submission Form. Please ensure that you indicate the question you have addressed on the Assignment Submission Form.

Assignment Submission Form

For guidance on how to plan, draft, and submit your assignment, please refer to the 21 Academy presentation on Writing and Submitting Your Assignment by clicking the button below.

Writing and Submitting Your Assignment

We are also providing the 21 Academy's Assignments Rubric for your reference. This rubric is a performance-based assessment tool that tutors will use for grading, and it will help you understand the requirements of the assignment and how it will be assessed.

Assignments Rubric

Referencing Style

Your assignment should be referenced using the Harvard Referencing style. Please follow a short video, by clicking on the button below, to understand this referencing style.

Harvard Referencing Style

Submitting Assignments and Presentations - Turnitin

The Academy will notify you via email when the assignment questions become available. Shortly after, you will receive another email from Turnitin, likely on the same day, confirming your enrolment in a "class" where you can upload your assignment(s).

Please ensure that your assignments are submitted no later than 23:59 on the assignment submission deadline, as indicated on the Assignment Submission form or in the Turnitin "class."

At 21 Academy, you have the option to submit multiple drafts before the final submission deadline. The version uploaded at the deadline will be treated as your final submission for assessment. Please note that Turnitin evaluates the same assignment twice within a 24-hour period, so any additional submissions during this time will not be reviewed until the 24-hour period has passed. Ensure that your final submission does not exceed 20% similarity, particularly when using direct quotations.

Follow this very short video to understand how to submit your assignment through Turnitin

Submitting a Paper

To understand the similarity report generated by Turnitin follow this 1 minute video

Understanding the Similarity Report