Artificial Intelligence for Occupational Safety and Health Professionals

Great Lakes Center faculty, Dr. Houshang Darabi, leads a team on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH); Read their latest research here. The team has developed a one-of-its-kind course for the OSH professional.

This four-week, project-based online course is designed for industry professionals to examine the need and impact that AI can have in occupational safety and health systems. Students can expect to learn what AI is, how it functions, and how it can be used to prevent or reduce the risk of common OSH hazards. Students will work on a project in which each student will collaborate with AI experts to design an AI-OSH application to solve an OSH problem in their workplace.

This course is designed for those responsible for workers’ safety and health, not for AI developers. We will meet on Zoom and you will have access to UIC Blackboard to submit assignments. We encourage individuals as well as groups to register.

Part 1 – Instruction: Students will listen to various lectures on what AI is and how it can be applied to OSH systems. All activities and assignments for the lectures will be completed during the set class time.

Part 2 – Class Project: Students will participate in a project in which they will apply the knowledge learned in Part 1 and team up with AI experts to design an AI system for an application within their own or other organizations.
The class project will take up most of the course, consisting of in-class and out-of-class time. Please read the Course Project Specifications, which outlines what will be needed of your project, to plan accordingly. All students are required to have a project to use during the course.

Students will need to dedicate up to 40 hours over the duration of this course. Part 1 will require 16 hours and Part 2 will require 24 hours. In addition, the students will spend up to 16 hours with the AI experts outside the class time on their projects. The meeting hours with AI experts will be scheduled in the first class’s session based on the students and AI experts’ availability.

Through this course, students can expect to:

1. Learn what AI is, how it functions, and how it can be used to prevent or reduce the risk of common OSH hazards.
2. Engage in open discussions with the instructor and fellow classmates that are prompted by the lectures.
3. Learn how to design an AI-OSH application to solve an OSH problem in their workplace by collaborating with AI experts.

Participants will need to complete a course evaluation in order to receive a certificate of completion or CEUs.

For questions, email us at: llorenza@uic.edu

Q: Am I eligible to take this course?
A: To participate, you must be at least 18 years or older and have adequate knowledge of the occupational health and safety field.

Q: What can I expect to receive by completing the course?
A: Along with the knowledge students are expected to learn, each student will also receive a certificate of Continuing Education Units after completing the course.

Q: How long is this course expected to be? How many hours do I need to dedicate for this course?
A: This course will require students to dedicate 40 hours of their time. Students should expect to spend 16 hours for instruction and 24 hours for the class project.

Q: Do I work with other people?
A: Yes, each student will be required to participate in discussions with other students and the instructor. This course also has a project in which each student will need to work in groups.

Q: I have no idea what artificial intelligence is, will I fail the course?
A: No, you will not fail! This course was created with the intention that students will succeed even if they have no prior knowledge of artificial intelligence and computer programming.

Q: What level of computer science do I need to know?
A: None! This course was created assuming that the students taking the course will have zero knowledge of computer science.

Q: What material will I need for this course?
A: You will need a laptop/tablet, camera, microphone, and internet access.

Q: What kind of course platform will be used?
A: We will use the University of Illinois Chicago Blackboard system to communicate with students. This course site will house all the class materials. All participants will receive a UIC NetID to access the site. Lectures will be delivered via Zoom links shared.

Q: What are the expectations of me as a student?
A: As a student, you are expected to fully participate in all course aspects. This includes attending each class, full attention in class, participation in class discussions, completion of all assignments, and active participation in class project. While attending class, students should not engage in any outside work or activities. All students are expected to inform their organizations about their unavailability during class hours. If students do not participate or are distracted during the class, this will be an issue that can result in failure of course completion.

Q: What kind of assignments and exams will I have in this course?
A: You would be required to complete in-class quizzes for each lecture via Blackboard (a course management system that you will be given access to). Students will also complete a project in which they will develop presentations for the class. Additionally, you will complete class surveys throughout the course.

Q: Will attendance be required?
A: Yes. It will be extremely beneficial for you to be actively involved in course instruction. However, we understand there may be dire circumstances in which you cannot attend class. If this happens, please communicate with the instructor for next steps.