Safety and Risk Management (distance learning only) MSc/Diploma

  • Delivery: Distance Learning
  • Programme type: Taught Programme
  • Study location:
  • Edinburgh
  • Entry date:
  • January, September

Overview

Public awareness of hazards and risks has enhanced the importance of safety assessment and management in today’s increasingly litigious society. Worldwide the burden of responsibility for health and safety is shifting towards those who own, manage and work in industrial and commercial organisations. Legal reform is tending to replace detailed industry specific legislation with a modern approach in which, where possible, goals and general principles are set and the onus is on organisations to show how they manage to achieve these goals.

The management of safety and risk needs to be integrated into the overall management of the organisation. It should be appropriate and cost-effective without dampening the innovative entrepreneurial spirit of employees with inflexible bureaucratic rules and procedures. An organisation’s exposure to potential hazards needs to be managed so as to reduce the chance of loss and mitigate any effects. Risk and safety issues need to be evaluated in a structured and calculated manner but in the light of an overall organisational strategy.

The MSc/PG Diploma programme in Safety and Risk Management aims to provide students with advanced knowledge of risk assessment techniques, the public and individual perception of risk, and how decisions are made in competitive business markets. The focus is on practical applications of safety methodologies, ergonomics and human factors, and safety and risk management techniques.

All of these skills will be drawn together to undertake complex qualitative and quantitative risk assessments. The core of the programme is the management of safety, but it is set within a broader remit where safety issues are part of a general risk management system with a balance of financial, quality and environmental concerns. The overall aim of the programme is to develop students’ skills and personal qualities to be able to undertake safety studies and manage safety and risk to the best national and international standards.

Professional recognition

This MSc degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) undergraduate first degree. See the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) for further information.

The MSc and PgDip degrees have also been accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Graduates are eligible to join IOSH as Graduate members and then undertake an initial professional development process that leads to Chartered membership.

Industry links

This programme and the associate programme Safety, Risk and Reliability Engineering, have been developed with the assistance of staff and ex-graduates working in relevant companies.

We are also developing links with a wide range of companies in the risk management fields.

Graduate opportunities

 

There is an increasing demand for personnel to be able to cross the divide between the technical expertise of safety engineering and the management of an organisation and its employees.

To be effective in this role requires a good understanding of many complex safety issues whilst appreciating the wider picture. In addition the contribution of safety related losses in a business strategy is often overlooked. For example, minor slips, trips and manual handling operations account for the largest proportion of staff time lost to work-related ill-health and injury.

It is thus important that a safety and risk manager should have a good understanding of the major safety issues likely to affect the function of the organisation.

 

Programme content

The MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Safety, Risk and Reliability Engineering is only available by attendance-free distance learning. The programme comprises eight courses. All courses have written examinations and some have compulsory coursework elements. MSc students are also required to complete an individual project (dissertation).

Risk Assessment and Safety Management

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

This courses aims to give students an appreciation of risk from individual and societal perspectives as well as understanding the basic principles of risk assessment and modelling and how safety management works in practice. Subjects include:

The concept and perceptions of hazards and risk. Risk attitudes and impact on decision-making; Interpretations of probability; Quantitative and qualitative aspects of risk; Modelling of decision making under conditions of risk; Inherent Safety; HAZOP; Safety management systems such as BS EN ISO 14000 series and other standards; Application of Safety Management Systems to failed systems and as a preventative tool.

Human Factors Methods

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

This course will equip students from academic and/or industrial backgrounds with knowledge on, and the means to deploy, a wide range of specialist human factors techniques. The emphasis is on method selection, application, combination and integration within existing business practices. Students will develop a critical awareness of what methods exist, how to apply them in practice and their principle benefits and limitations. The syllabus includes:

Introduction to human factors problems and human factors methods; Task analysis; Cognitive task analysis; Human error identification; Situation awareness assessment; Mental workload assessment; Team assessment; Interface analysis; Design methods; Performance time prediction; Method integration; Human factors integration

Human Factors in the Design and Evaluation of Control Rooms

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

The course will equip students from academic and/or industrial backgrounds with in-depth knowledge on, insights into, and the means to deploy a wide range of specialist techniques relevant to the ergonomic design and evaluation of control rooms. The emphasis is on key areas of control room operations and on actionable ways to deploy theory on human capabilities and limitations in order to improve performance, safety, efficiency and overall operator well being. The course covers the following key areas:

Introduction to humans and control rooms; Competencies; Training; Procedures; Communication processes; Manning and workload; Automation; Supervision; Shift patterns; Control room layout; Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA); Alarms; The control room environment.

Fire Safety, Explosions and Process Safety

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

Introduces students to the basic principles of fire safety science and engineering, and develops skills in associated modelling leading to an understanding of principal fire/explosion related issues in process safety. Subjects include:

Objectives of fire safety science and engineering; Fire chemistry: stoichiometric burning, ignition, flammability limits; Mechanisms of heat transfer; The burning process; flashpoint, firepoint, flame spread; Fires in enclosures; computer-based models of fire development. Flashover & backdraught; Life threat, human behaviour, evacuation; Fire severity & fire resistance. Probabilistic modelling; Explosions: deflagrations, detonations, fire-balls; Fire related aspects of process safety. Piper Alpha disaster.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

Provides the candidate with the knowledge and understanding of the principles and processes of the Environmental Impact Assessment. By the end of the course, the student should be familiar with the European EIA legislation and its translation into the Scottish planning system, and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the EIA process, the tools and the agents involved in an EIA and the possible problems with using EIA as a decision making tool. . It is also intended that the student will be able to appreciate the purpose of the EIA process from a number of perspectives; that of a developer, an EIA practitioner and a policy maker. The course plan includes:

Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment; European EIA Legislation; Screening and Scoping; Baseline Studies, Analysis and Prediction of Impact; Consultation, Review and Monitoring; Beyond EIA: Strategic and Social Impact Assessment

Learning from Disasters

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

Gives students an in depth understanding of some of the classic disasters and their consequences by using a range of practical accident investigation techniques. Students will learn to analyse complex histories in order to find the underlying root cause. Topics covered:

Accident models; Root cause and accident analysis techniques concentrating on events and causal factors analysis, barrier analysis, change analysis and the management oversight and risk tree; Review a number of famous disasters including Piper Alpha, Herald of Free Enterprise, Bhopal, Clapham Junction etc.; Identify lessons learned from these disasters; Review some of the major safety lessons from historical disasters; Analyse a real disaster in detail using a number of practical techniques

Project Management, Theory & Practice

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

Provides students with an understanding of the concepts and practices of construction project management used to provide value added services to clients within the constraints of time, cost, quality sustainability and health and safety management.

Value & Risk Management (M)

Semesters 1 & 2 (mandatory)

Aims to introduce the concepts of value and risk management, apply them to strategic and tactical problems and illustrate their tools and techniques through case study.

Topics covered: VRM and the procurement process; an introduction to value management; value engineering - function analysis and other VE tools; risk, uncertainty and the construction industry; risk and procurement of PPP Projects; the risk management framework; sources; events and effects of project risk; tools and techniques of risk management; risk response and mitigation; client briefing; a review of North American practice.

Dissertation

For the project component of the programme distance learners are likely to develop something based in their country of residence with advice and supervision from staff in the School. This may well include work with a local company or may involve independent study. Individual arrangements will be set up with each student.

Programme leader

Pauline Thompson has been working on our safety MScs since 2002. She teaches three of the courses on each of the two safety programmes, has contributed to most of the other courses within the two programmes and supervises many of the student dissertations on these programmes. Her research includes many aspects of risk analysis and sustainability with applications in civil engineering.

Entry requirements

For MSc level entry applicants must have:

  • Minimum of 2:2 honours degree or equivalent academic qualification in cognate and semi-cognate subject area. For PG conversion programmes, non-cognate degrees will be considered. Corporate (or chartered) membership of relevant professional institutions will also be considered.

 

For PG Diploma level entry applicants must have:

  • Third class honours degree in a cognate or semi-cognate subject area PLUS 2 years of relevant experience at an appropriate level completed post qualification.
  • Cognate or semi-cognate ordinary degree PLUS 3-4 years of relevant experience at an appropriate level following graduation. 
  • Candidates who do not meet the above entry requirements or have no formal academic qualifications will be considered individually based on their CV and interview.  Admission via this route will be at the discretion of the Director of Admissions and the number of successful applicants will be restricted. 

 

There is no entry at PG Certificate level except through exceptional agreement with approved learning partners.

 

Non-graduating study at masters level:

  • Entry is based on CV or on formal academic qualifications or graduate (or incorporated) membership of a relevant professional institution. 

English language requirements

If English is not the applicant’s first language a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent is required with all elements passed at 6.0 or above. 

Applicants who have previously successfully completed programmes delivered in the medium of English language will be required to provide documentary evidence of this.  Examples would be secondary school education or undergraduate degree programme.   A minimum of one year of full time study (or equivalent) in the medium of English language will be required.

Distance learning students

Please note that independent distance learning students who access their studies online will be expected to have access to a PC/laptop and internet.

Tuition fees

Status* Home / EU Overseas
Fee Full-time Part-time Distance learning** Full-time Part-time Distance learning**
£1,050 £1,050

* If you are unsure which category you fall in to, you should complete a fee status enquiry form, which allows us to assess your fees.

** Fee per course

Scholarships & bursaries