POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS (DGES)

Overview

1. INTRODUCTION

The Post-Graduate Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management is offered over three semesters on block release and is tailor made to meet safety, health and environmental needs of Zimbabwe and the world at large. It intends to equip students with both theoretical and practical skills that are relevant to safety, health and the environment in various industries, institutions and organizations.

2. OBJECTIVES

The general objectives are that at the end of the programme students should be able to:

2.1 demonstrate knowledge that links safety, health and environmental theories and practice.

2.2 develop skills to manage existing and new projects through the participation of target stakeholders and institutions.

2.3 develop skills that enable them to realize and apply new technologies to the changing demands coming from the rapidly expanding productive and consumption sectors of the globalised world economies.

2.4 formulate and conduct research that promotes safe, environmentally friendly and people-centred development at community, institutional, national, regional and international levels.

Career Prospects

3. CAREER PROSPECTS

3.1 DGES graduates have career opportunities in a wide array of institutions and organizations which include the following:
· Business

· Manufacturing and Processing Industry

· Agriculture

· Mining

· Tourism

· Ecology

· Environmental Management Consultancy

· Disaster Management

· Non- Governmental Organizations

· Government Ministries and Departments

Entry Requirements

4. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Normal Entry

For normal entry a candidate should:-

· have satisfied the University’s General Academic Regulations

· have a pass in English Language and Mathematics at `O’ Level and

· have a good First Degree in appropriate fields such as Geography, Environmental Studies or Science, Biology or related fields such as Health Sciences.

4.2 Special Entry

4.2.1 other degree holders shall be eligible for admission at the discretion of the department.

5. GENERAL PROVISIONS

5.1 The Post Graduate Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management is a block release programme. 1033

5.2 Normally, a student will be required to complete the programme in not less than one and half years from the date of first registration.

5.3 The programme offers pre-requisite, core/compulsory and elective/ optional modules.

5.4 Each module is worth four (4) credits except the project which is worth six (6) credits.

6. CREDITS

6.1 Students shall earn at least 42 credits to be allowed to graduate.

6.2 To successfully complete the programme a student must pass all the core modules.

7. ASSESSMENT

7.1 Examinations, which shall normally be written at the end ofeach semester, comprise three hour papers for theoretical modules.

7.2 Continuous assessment includes tests, assignments and or presentations.

7.3 A student is normally required to attain 100% attendance of tutorials.

8. WEIGHTING

8.1 Examinations for theoretical modules contribute 70% while for practical modules it will be 50% towards the final mark of a module.

8.2 Continuous assessment for theoretical modules contributes 30% while for practical modules it will be 50% towards the final mark of a module.

9. MARKING SCHEME AND DIPLOMA CLASSIFICATION

Refer to Section 26.1 of the General University Academic Regulations.

Programme Structure

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Level 1Semester 1

Code Description Credits
DGES 501 Introduction to Environmental Safety and Health 4
DGES 502 Environmental Safety and Health Legislation 4
DGES 503 Occupational Health and Safety 4
DGES 504 Population, Health and the Environment 4
DGES 505 Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing 4

Options

Code Description Credits
DGES 506 Water Supply and Sanitation 4

Level 1 Semester 2

Code Description Credits
DGES 507 Environmental Impact Assessment 4
DGES 508 Environmental Economics 4
DGES 509 Environmental Management in Industry 4
DGES 510 Waste Management 4

Options

Code Description Credits
DGES 511 Environmental Politics 4
DGES 512 Climate Change, Agriculture and the Environment 4

Level 2 Semester 1

Code Description Credits
DGES 601 Research Project 6 1035 4

MODULE SYNOPSES

DGES 501 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

The module provides basic instruction on the principles of environmental safety and health. Students will be introduced to key concepts of environment, safety and health such as Environmental Management Systems, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Quality Management Systems and Energy Management.

DGES 502 ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY AND HEALTH LEGISLATION

The module outlines the legislation governing environmental health and safety at local, national and international levels in various sectors of the economy.

DGES 503 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

The module provides an outline on accident prevention, loss causation and incident evaluating risk, risk control, emergency planning and accident reporting and recording. It will also examine procedures in safety inspection, criminal and civil law and measuring health and safety performance at workplace and work equipment. It will also provide an overview of occupational health and safety in Zimbabwe.

DGES 504 POPULATION, HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The module examines the relationship between the environment and human and animal disease patterns. Environmental determinants of health problems and experiences including physical, biological, chemical and human related aspects will be explored in urban and rural settlements. Key issues and concerns in the population environment nexus will be addressed.

DGES 505 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND REMOTE SENSING

The module explores spatial analysis of data which can be used in different environmental safety and health situations. Concepts of geographic primitives, geographical data management, geographical data analysis, satellite images and image processing are examined. Both GIS and remote sensing are applied by students as essential and indispensable tools for research in their research projects in line with international research trends. 1036

DGES 506 WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION

The module covers issues on sustainable supply of affordable water, participatory water planning processes, water pricing systems and local credit arrangements for basic service of affordable water, sustainable water management and gender equity, safe management of human excreta, including “hardware” (latrines, sewers etc) and the “software” (regulation, hygiene promotion). Environmental sanitation deals with the control of all factors in the physical environment that may have deleterious impact on human health. This includes pollution control, drainage, solid waste management and vector control. Effects of unsafe water and poor sanitation on people’s livelihoods and health policy trends for improving household and neighbourhood sanitation systems will be examined.

DGES 507 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The module outlines the historic development of the concept, objectives, terminology and methods used and policies for the implementation of environmental impact assessment (EIA). Module also critically reviews steps and procedures of EIA in Zimbabwe, review and implementation methods for impact identification, analysis and assessment as well as multi-criteria evaluation and other decision support tools. Support techniques are applied to a case study.

DGES 508 ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

The module examines the general micro and macro economic and environmental economic principles and their practical applications. It also covers issues which range from ethical considerations, welfare economics, environmental policy instruments viz-a-vis market, valuation of environmental resources, techniques for the economic appraisal of environmental projects, environmental input-output modeling and environmental accounting at the firm level.

DGES 509 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN INDUSTRY

The module cover issues on environmental management standards in industry, initial environmental review, environmental policies in industry, environmental planning, procedures and responsibilities, training, internal and external communication, environmental auditing and management review and cleaner production practices. It 1037 will also explore on the link between environmental management systems, quality management systems and food safety management systems in industry.

DGES 510 WASTE MANAGEMENT

The module explores the approaches used in management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid and liquid waste and measures for improving the efficiency of waste management strategies. It also covers the framework for waste management, sound practices, comparative solid waste management and waste management and GIS.

DGES 511 ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

The module explains the main themes of environmental politics and policy at local, national, regional and global levels. Substantive problems and political processes of environmental policy making, contemporary radical environmental thought and movements will be discussed.

DGES 512 CLIMATE CHANGE, AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The module addresses issues such as the causes of climate change, impact of climate change on agriculture and the environment. Concepts of agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture and development will be looked at together with important on-going processes and their impact on the environment, methods to assess processes and their effects and policy and technical measures to control processes and their effects.

DGES 601 RESEARCH PROJECT

Students to present a research project based on concepts learnt theoretically and in the field. The guidelines for the project will be based on the basic skills of research and report writing which include development of a research problem, formulation of research objectives, research methodology, data analysis, conclusions and recommendations.