Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Increasing emphasis is being placed by State authorities and employers on health and safety in the workplace. This unit covers a wide range of topics in health and occupational physics and it fits naturally into a post-graduate medical physics course.

Aims

This unit is designed to introduce the philosophy, protocols and practices of safety in the medical and industrial field, (ensuring workplace health and safety requirements are met) necessary to minimise hazards associated with radiation, electrical, mechanical and biological techniques.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should:

1. Be familiar with sources of ionising and non-ionising radiation.

2. Have an understanding of the principles and applications of radiation protection as well as the recommendations concerning exposure of persons to radiation and noise.

3. Be capable of using instruments to detect and monitor levels of radiation.

4. Be able to recognise and apply counter measures to potential hazards and to institute safety awareness programs.

Content

History of safety provisions, responsibility, legislation. Role of safety officer, medico-legal implications. Causes of accidents, human error. Hazard analysis, system safety planning. Instrumental safety - dialysis. Electrical hazards. Electrical protection. Non ionising-electromagnetic radiation hazards. Lasers. UV.

Philosophy of radiation protection; absorbed, equivalent and effective dose, radiation weighting factors, organ weighting factors, stochastic and deterministic effects, recommendations on radiation dose limits, external and internal exposure, ingestion and inhalation, ALI, derived limits, codes of practice, potential exposure and constraint. Biological effects and risks to populations.

Radiation protection in medical areas, patients and professionals, radiation protection in mining and milling of radioactive ores, radioactivity in soil, water, air and biota - pathway analysis; radiation protection in other professional situations, transport, disposal, storage and handling of radioactive materials. Radiation shielding.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Material is generally presented in the form of online and face-to-face lectures and practicals. However, because of the practical nature of the unit, practical work, visits, and research assignments also form a large fraction of the work-load.

Assessment

You must achieve a satisfactory result in each item of assessment in order to be awarded a passing grade for this unit. To have a mark for an assessable item reviewed, your first approach should be to the relevant teaching staff member, then to the unit coordinator or course coordinator.Feedback will be made available to students during the semester and individual consultations may be arranged on request.

Assessment name: Report
Description: (Formative & Summative). Assignments/Practical/Field Trip Reports.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3.
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blackboard Site

Assessment name: Examination (Theory)
Description: (Summative). End of semester written theory examination.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 4.
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Exam Period

Assessment name: Quiz
Description: (Formative & Summative). Online weekly quizzes.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Weight: 15%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: See Blackboard Site

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts:
1. Attix FH, Roesch WC & Tochilin E (1967) Radiation Dosimetry Vol 1, 2, 3 and Supplement, 2nd edition, Academic Press.
2. Cember H (1984) Introduction to Health Physics, 2nd edition, Pergamon Press.
3. DeReamer R (1980) Modern Safety and Health Technology, Wiley.
4. Feinberg BN (1986) Applied Chemical Engineering, Prentice Hall.
5. Johns HE & Cunningham J (1983) The Physics of Radiology, 5th edition, Thomas Books.
6. Noz ME & Maguire GO (1979) Radiation Protection in the Radiologic and Health Sciences, Lea and Febiger.
7. The publications of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, Pergamon Press.
8. The publications of the Interational Commission on Radiological Units and Measurements.
9. Codes of Practice. National Health and Medical Research Council. Physics in Medicine.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 26-Jun-2012