The quality of the post academic course ‘management of safety, health and environment (MoSHE) of Delft University of Technology

Abstract

Objective This article discusses the rise of European postgraduate courses in safety science and the content and quality of the Management of Safety Health and Environment (MoSHE) course of Delft University of Technology. Materials and methods Literature search, document analysis, interviews. Results The different MoSHE years show a varied picture of this post academic program. In the Netherlands the course is unique with a central focus on risk management and sustainability, supported by scientific developments in the areas of safety, health, environment, organizational science and psychology. In all year-groups the quality of the course was assessed with a short questionnaire, collecting opinions of course members on individual presentations and the course as a whole. Quality of the course was regularly discussed through the contacts of the course coordinator with module leaders, and at meetings of course committees, and leading to changes in content of modules. After MoSHE 1 (1989), 14 (2008), and 17 (2012) the courses’ structure, organization and content was changed radically. Only, the quality system of the course remained implicit. Using the model of the European Foundation for Quality Management a first set-up for a quality system is presented. Over the years the academic nature of the program has changed substantially. This is one of the challenges for the future to find a balance between the domains taught and between an academic approach and practical skills. The course could benefit from a greater input of process safety and safety in high-tech-high-hazard sectors.