Education initiative on the safe and healthy design of products in various university courses

  • Project number: F 2120
  • Institution: Technische Universität Dresden - Fakultät Maschinenwesen - Institut für Technische Logistik und Arbeitssysteme
  • Status: Completed Project

Description:

At universities extensive specialist knowledge is imparted to the students. Surveys have shown that specific teaching of occupational safety and health knowledge is often not provided to an adequate degree. This can have serious consequences in terms of safety, especially in occupational fields where decisions have to be made in such matters as the safe design or operation of equipment. The aim of the project was to teach subject matter relating to product safety (including mechanical, electrical and thermal hazards, ergonomic design, anti-slip safety, anti-fall safety and the avoidance of emissions) in a course (e.g. mechanical engineering, equipment engineering or plant engineering). The specialist subject was incorporated in modern presentation/teaching media, e.g. E-learning modules, Internet working or multi-media learning tools.

In the project the approaches prepared were tried out by way of example during a semester. Other universities should be able to use the experience gained and should also implement knowledge specific to their profile with respect to the safe and healthy design of products in existing courses of study. The benefit can be seen in effective transfer of knowledge and the possibility of dispensing with subsequent follow-up qualification measures. In the long term improved product quality with respect to safety and health protection will help to avoid subsequent consequences due to defective products.

Access to the developed and updated teaching materials can be found on the project website Further development and modernisation of the teaching concept on product safety for university education (PROSUmEr)

Contact

Unit 2.6 "Workplaces, Safety of Machinery, Operational Safety"

Phone: +49 231 9071-1971
Fax: +49 231 9071-2070