Online Diploma in Safety, Health, and Environmental Management (SHEM)

Program Information
Enrolment Prerequisites
Certification
Program Outline and Courses
Tuition and Schedule
Instructors

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The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) has awarded 5.0 CMPs to each course in the University of Fredericton SHEM program. 

Program Information

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Enrolment Prerequisites

• An official letter or transcript confirming your completion of a health and safety certificate program from the institute where you were enroled.
• In lieu of a recognized certificate, applicants with equivalent OSHE credentials (e.g. CRSP, CHSE) or other relevant post-secondary accomplishments (e.g. Degree, Diploma, Certificate, Tradesperson) will be considered on a case by case basis.

A photocopy of your certificate or transcript is not acceptable proof of completion.

It is essential that all students have access to a computer with an internet connection, headset with microphone.

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Applicants are required to complete an online application form on the website. Simply click on the Apply Now button and begin the process of the application.
 

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Learn more about us and our courses. 

Benefits of Online Learning

The online Professional Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management is the first OSH-related diploma that is offered entirely through web-based interactive instruction. This delivery method provides the student with a quality educational experience that appeals to a wide range of learning styles. Here are some additional benefits to online learning:

• It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can access your learning at your convenience from home, office or any other location that has an Internet-connected computer.
• Everything you need to accomplish the learning objectives is provided via Internet delivery with the exception of required textbooks.
• Interaction with fellow students is enabled through chat rooms, online forums and live synchronous sessions.
• Sponsoring agents realize substantial savings in training costs, reductions in training time, elimination of travel requirements, plus improvement in staff retention and productivity.

   

Prior Learning Assessment

Through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program, potential participants of the SHEM program have an opportunity to receive acknowledged course completion for related previous learning.

PLA is the systematic evaluation of the learning an individual has achieved through relevant work experience, various short training courses or learning outcomes from similar or related post-secondary programs. PLA course completion will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To apply for a Prior Learning Assessment, contact the SHEM office at:

University of Fredericton
371 Queen Street, Suite 101
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
E3B 1B1
Tel: (506) 455-1690
Fax: (506) 455-1675
E-mail: SHEM@UFred.ca

To apply for a Prior Learning Assessment, forr each course you wish to exempt, there is a $150 administration fee plus a $100 exemption fee (if the exemption is granted). You will be required to provide:

• Transcripts from any training institutions you attended
• Copies of any professional certifications you received
• Syllabi from any related courses you have taken
• Any other relevant documentation that provides evidence of your learning
   

For consideration of learning through work experience and other background learning, you must supply a detailed résumé that includes all education and training as well as positions held and areas of responsibility for each. Also, the reviewer will need to see transcripts from relevant institutions, copies of certifications received and syllabi from courses taken. These syllabi normally contain the sentence, "In this course, you will learn x, y and z". Verifying the 'x,y and z' of previous learning helps ensure the fairest possible Prior Learning Assessments.


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Certification

The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) have awarded 5.0 CMPs (Continuing Maintenance Points) to each course in the University of Fredericton’s Professional Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management (SHEM) diploma program. (www.bcrsp.ca).

As well, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) is offering the SHEM diploma program as an extension of their current professional development offerings. Other professional recognitions will be posted as they are approved in the coming months. All diploma curricula are reviewed by a panel of senior safety practitioners and adult educators.

In most courses, we utilize a combination of online, self-paced instruction and online virtual classroom (vClass) sessions with classmates and the instructor. All materials are provided online, with the exception of textbooks, which must be acquired independently or online at the University of Fredericton's online bookstore.

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Program Outline

This diploma program has six core courses and two electives. Students may choose the electives that interest them most.

Diploma Core courses: (all required)
 

Diploma Elective Courses: (select two)

Course Descriptions

Diploma Core courses: (all required)
 

SHEM 111 - Organizational Dynamics

Taught from the perspective of a senior social worker, this course has been adapted from one taught by this instructor at Dalhousie University over the years. Although highlighting many of the normal elements of the subject, the social orientation of the content is refreshing, and helps students understand the subject from a more human, less sterile perspective.


SHEM 112 - Ergonomics Foundations

The science of matching work to human needs is increasingly recognized as a major component of informed 'safety' interventions, yet applied training in the field is limited. This course begins by meeting the requirements in the BCRSP Study Guide for ergonomics (in the first four weeks) and continues to build skills across a variety of ergonomic principles and applications suitable for all environments.


SHEM 113 - Psycho-Social Hazards

A reality in safety practice is that in most workplaces, the safety practitioner is alone in identifying, prioritizing and recommending interventions to their senior managers. And a reality in the emerging economy is that virtually every position is required to perform at a higher level with less and less support. Add to that an increasingly hostile public/client environment and the elements for a very stressful, sometimes violent workplace is apparent. This course helps safety practitioners identify those risk factors that create and perpetuate hostile environments, and includes a number of proven strategies for mitigating or reducing the risks of those negative encounters within the organization, or from the public.


SHEM 114 - Environmental Management

Environmental management has been merging in to general safety management practice since at least the early '90's. Successful safety management requires that practitioners grasp foundational principles of ecology as they relate to industrial and public operations across sectors and jurisdictions.


SHEM 115 - Risk assessment

Informed safety practitioners understand the dynamic relationship between intelligent recommendations for safety improvements, versus those that are not defensible. Balancing the very real tensions between available resources and protecting those resources is becoming an expected part of the modern safety practitioners' intellectual toolbox.

This course is the first of a three-part series that equip learners with tools to identify, prioritize and manage risks to the organization's physical, human and financial assets. Understanding loss exposures, forecasting and analyzing trends, and making recommendations on the basis of value for investment will distinguish the emerging generation of safety practitioners.

SHEM 116 - Disability Management 

Disability management is most effective when integrated and embedded into the strategies and culture of an organization. This course introduces an interdisciplinary approach to the concepts and practices of disability management, and addresses how to design, implement, and market an effective integrated disability management program. Topics include the theory and practices of disability management, what an integrated disability management program is, how it functions, the role of the Employee Assistance Program in disability management, the Workers’ Compensation System, the infrastructure and standards for an integrated disability management program, data management, program evaluation, program communication and marketing, ethics and the legal aspects related to disability management.

Diploma Elective Courses (select two)

SHEM 219 - Joint Safety Committee Dynamics (Coming Soon)

In emerging organizational cultures, various models of extending 'ownership' of safety program policy and administration is manifesting. In many Canadian jurisdictions, 'joint safety committees' are a regulatory requirement. In others, they are seen as a vehicle to improve corporate culture and enhance mutual trust/respect across the hierarchy. Regardless of whether a compliance or policy issue, putting stakeholders from various levels of the hierarchy in a role where they are charged with producing results for the safety program requires a rich understanding of the human qualities of communication, trust, power sharing and engagement.


SHEM 220 - Advanced Disability Management

This course builds on the foundational skills taught in the Foundations Course, and helps learners apply disability management solutions at a higher level across industries and jurisdictions.


SHEM 221 - Advanced Ergonomics

This course builds on the Workplace Ergonomics course and highlights more advanced techniques and systems that enable learners to provide higher level solutions across a wider range of operational contexts.


SHEM 222 - Modern Training Systems

Workers are the most underutilized capital in any industrialized country. A useful definition of training is "the provision of skills and knowledge that enable the learner to be a full contributing partner with the goals of the organization". But telling is not teaching. And effective instruction must be based on a sound needs analysis that produces valid learning goals. In turn, achievement of these learning goals demands a defensible assessment strategy that not only confirms achievement of the goals in the learning environment, but the extent to which those goals actually transfer to the job, and the extent to which those goals actually enhance performance. This course highlights these components of a modern training system applicable to any industry or sector.


SHEM 223 - Independent Study

From time to time, learners will find certain subject matter of particular interest to them, and want to explore it further. Although this can be done independent of the SHEM program, it may be possible to achieve credit for this independent study, providing the direction and content of the study is consistent with the goals of SHEM. This elective option is for learners who wish to drill down into a topic to meet personal learning needs specific to their own operational environment. In this course, learners will establish their own learning goals, review a text(s) and review journal articles related to their learning goals, and write a paper outlining what they've achieved. Supervision is provided through each of these phases, and the final grade is weighted to recognize efforts in each of these tasks.


SHEM 224 - Canadian OHS Law

This Course will provide students with an excellent Introduction to Canadian Health & Safety Law. Students will learn the essential elements of the Canadian legal system, it application to OHS law, and the setting, communication and enforcement of OHS legal standards. Case studies, practical application of the law, and understanding how the law relates to OHS management systems will all be important themes throughout all the course modules. A review of the Bill C-45 amendments to the Criminal code will also be covered.


SHEM 225 - Safety Management

Coming Soon.


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Tuition and Schedules

Program Duration

Students can expect to complete the online Professional Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management program in about 16 months assuming they enroll in one course at a time. Students may choose to take two courses simultaneously which would shorten the duration of the program. It is completely up to you!

The online diploma program offers courses continuously throughout the year, with new courses being offered every nine weeks. Our SHEM courses are each eight weeks in length and do require attendance in weekly online virtual classroom sessions (vClass sessions). Students will be expected to attend these weekly vClass sessions and will be required to have a headset and microphone for participation. The vClass sessions are held at 7:00pm Eastern Time on the same night of the week for the duration of the course.       
 

Tuition

• Individual Courses: $950.00 (CDN)
• Complete program cost: $7600 (CDN)

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Instructors

	Nancy Cochrane, BA, MSW Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Acadia University and a Master of Social Work degree from Dalhousie University. In addition, Nancy has obtained certificates in Personnel Management and Management Development. In relation to the Occupational Health and Safety field, Nancy has completed numerous OH&S courses through the Nova Scotia Safety Council (Safety Services NS), the Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers and the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour. Nancy was recently appointed as Chairperson of the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Appeal Panel. Nancy's employment history includes 10 years of experience as the manager of a province-wide program to protect the health and safety of seniors and persons with disabilities. Nancy has also worked as a Consultant in Occupational Health and Safety with the Nova Scotia government. Nancy has 23 years experience as a Trainer and Instructor within government and the university/college environments. She has taught on a part-time basis at Dalhousie University, Lansbridge University, CompuCollege and the Nova Scotia Community College.
	Steve Hazzard, MADL Steve is the Chief Learning Officer for Don Sayers & Associates. Steve is the architect of the DSA/UFred CHSEP program and continues to develop training systems that use technology mediated delivery. Steve has completed a graduate degree in distance education, holds a CHRP, and is a member of the Canadian Society for Training and Development. He lives just outside of Fredericton, NB with his wife and family.
	Suzanne Jackson, CCPE Ms. Jackson is an ergonomist and kinesiologist with demonstrated achievements during the past 15 years. Her employment with WorksafeBC during the introduction of ergonomics regulations in Canada in the late 90's provided the policy development roles that lead into ergonomics consulting and teaching. She has been involved with ergonomics research, assessments and training for a variety of organizations and industries with the primary focus of musculoskeletal disorder prevention. Industries include manufacturing, forestry, healthcare, warehouse, retail/service, construction, oil & gas, and government/office. Currently serving as faculty with University of Fredericton, Canada, Suzanne teaches an online Ergonomics Coordinator Certificate course in association with Don Sayers & Associates. Suzanne's talent in Human Factors Engineering is obvious when engaged in discussing that field. Her senior-level experience in both public and private sectors is combined with her passion for teaching. Recently she co-authored a Tree Planter's Guide to Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries with FPInnovations - Feric Division in Vancouver. Published also as FPInnovation's Advantage Report Vol 9. No. 7 (January 2008) and printed in Info-Flip design, the guide was the culmination of 2 years of research with western tree planters. In addition to Forestry industry experience, Suzanne designed and implemented an ergonomic work methods and train-the-trainer program in a large tire manufacturing facility. Spending one year at the facility, Suzanne developed work methods with process engineers, trained trainers in work methods and injury prevention exercises, and implemented a system of follow-up checks into a sustainable training program aligned with the production system. While consulting to Shell Canada, Suzanne implemented a large scale office ergonomics project which included implementing equipment solutions in two geophysical and engineering departments, training occupational health nurses and other stakeholders in office ergonomics set-up, creating a resource manual, and working to sustain the ergonomics efforts by programming it into the medical department's responsibilities. In healthcare, Suzanne made numerous ergonomics investigations into all levels of healthcare and support work while employed at WorksafeBC. She was on a special project whose deliverables included an information package on the installation and inspection of ceiling lifts, a demonstration kit of transfer devices to reduce risk of injury, and specific written guidance on the application of the Ergonomics Requirements of Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to patient handling. During this period she was fortunate to work with the OHS department of the Interior Health Authority whose commitment to No-lift procedures and user-centered design was evident.
	Olu Kamson, FLI Olu Kamson is an Analytical Chemist with extensive expertise in Ecological Sustainability. He has considerable experience in Academia, Research, Industrial Environmental Consulting and Environmental Leadership. In 1988, his contribution to Environmental Training and Research was highlighted in UNEP's Regional Directory of African Tertiary Level Environmental Training Institutions, Programs and Resource Persons. He has since 1992 been a very active fellow of LEAD International: the largest organisation in the world devoted exclusively to sustainable development. He has also served as Board Member of a State Environmental Protection Agency. He is very passionate about sustainable waste management practices. Olu is widely published in a number of peer review journals including Environment International.
	Don Sayers, CD, CRSP, CHRP As a self-proclaimed 'applied behavioural scientist', Don's contribution to workplace health, safety and environmental leadership has been primarily as a champion of proven behavioural techniques and systems applicable to the professional practice of risk management and harm reduction programs. This is driven by over 35 years of experience as a senior safety director, as well as his academic background in adult education and leadership/management. Extensive experience in mentoring budding safety practitioners over the years has also brought invaluable insights to the creation of professional development programs such as SHEM.

*The University of Fredericton certificate and diploma programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue career, work, and/or personal interest objectives. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed or promoted in any particular job or career path.

**Unless specifically cited, the University of Fredericton makes no representations or warranties as to whether our certificate or diploma programs meet specific professional association, provincial and/or national regulatory/licensure requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate regulatory entity for such information. Although certain University programs are designed to meet educational content and contact hour requirements, and prepare students to take specific certification or qualification exams; the University cannot guarantee that individual students will pass those exams.

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