A pluridisciplinar PhD program of the University of Porto

The curricular structure of the Doctoral Program in Occupational Safety and Health (DemSSO) has been designed to become an important contribution for the solution of one of the great problems that Portugal and other countries face: the lack of occupational safety and health conditions for all. The goal is to improve the quality of life and equal opportunities, as much as possible, for every citizen, having or not special needs.
The economic relevance of this problem is clear when we see the costs of accidents and professional diseases. In Portugal and in many other countries it corresponds to around 2 to 3% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Lost lives, physical and psychological traumas and familiar, social and other human costs are incommensurable.
The lack of ergonomic conditions, architectonic barriers and other obstacles to mobility are also factors that strongly affect the quality of life, health and safety of many citizens, namely aged people, people with reduced mobility, children and other people with limitations and dependencies.
Since the area of Occupational Safety and Health is markedly multidisciplinary, the collaboration of many Faculties at the University of Porto was attempted. This resulted in a teaching body of the most diverse areas of knowledge from thirteen of the fourteen Faculties of the University of Porto (FAUP, FADEUP, FBAUP, FCUP, FCNAUP, FDUP, FEUP, FFUP, FLUP, FMUP, FMDUP, FPCEUP, ICBAS). This means that students can do PhD thesis in many different fields. THESIS

An open vision of the area of occupational safety and health

The vision behind this doctoral program is not restricted to labouring problems and to the directly productive citizens. The scope of the program is very inclusive: it includes the problems of everyone in any situation, either worker's, users or visitors. It is related and concerns everyone. Children, young and aged people, unemployed and retired persons are not excluded.