Workplace Health and Safety (LAWS70053)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5Online
About this subject
Contact information
October
Teaching staff:
Catherine Dunlop (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office.
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | October - Online |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Work Health and Safety Law has grown in scope over the past decade, particularly since 2010 when most Australian governments implemented nationally-uniform laws about work health and safety. Victoria has, however, continued, with a similar but different model, and has a particularly active regulator.
This subject examines in detail the content of Victorian law, as well as the national laws, considering the operation of work health and safety law in its historical and industrial setting, as well as the likely practical operation of the regulatory regimes. The subject examines the application of safety laws to both physical risks and psychosocial risks, such as bullying and sexual harassment.
The lecturer is a practitioner with over 20 years’ experience in work health and safety, and guest lecturers from employee representative bodies and safety regulators will also present.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- The problem of work-related injury and disease
- The history of the legal regulation of health and safety at work
- The duties owed by employers and other parties under Victorian and nationally-uniform workplace health and safety laws
- Standard-setting under the Australian work health and safety statutes
- Worker representation and participation under the Australian work health and safety legislation
- State enforcement of the work health and safety legislation
- The application of work health and safety legislation to psychological health, bullying and sexual harassment
- How health and safety law has adapted to new ways of working and new challenges, such as remote and hybrid work, and COVID-19
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the legal principles of Australian work health and safety law within the context of work, including recent developments in this field of law and practice
- Be able to examine critically, analyse, interpret and assess the effectiveness of these legal rules
- Be an engaged participant in debate regarding emerging and contemporary issues in the field, such as in civil behaviour, duties to the public and contractor management
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the factors and processes driving reform
- Have an advanced understanding of situations in which issues of health and safety may arise in work relationships and management practices
- Have a understanding of work health and safety legal regimes in an international context
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas relating to work health and safety laws and to critically evaluate existing legal theories, principles and concepts with creativity and autonomy
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to examine independently, research and analyse existing and emerging legal issues relating to work health and safety
- Have the communication skills to articulate clearly and convey complex information regarding work health and safety to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences
- Be able demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of work health and safety law
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught at an advanced graduate level and requires a thorough background in common law. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal practitioners, learners and researchers.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Option 1: Take-home examination
| 21 - 24 November 2025 | 100% |
Option 2: Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 17 December 2025 | 100% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- October - Online
Principal coordinator Catherine Dunlop Mode of delivery Online Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 17 September 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check on the pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 15 October 2025 to 21 October 2025 Last self-enrol date 22 September 2025 Census date 17 October 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 28 November 2025 Assessment period ends 2 January 2026 October contact information
Teaching staff:
Catherine Dunlop (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office.
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
(enquiries for current students | enquiries for prospective students).
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025