Diploma in Head Impact, Sharp Edges and Safe Design
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in head impact, sharp edges and safe design: 8 modules covering head injury biomechanics, headform test protocols, sharp edges and projections, energy-absorbing materials, head impact simulation, safe-design methodology and conformity, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Head Impact, Sharp Edges and Safe Design — studying from South Africa
Product design and human-machine interface work is increasingly important across South African manufacturing, consumer goods and software. Industrial design teams in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal work on products for local and export markets, from appliances to automotive interiors. Digital product and interface design is in demand as companies build more connected products. Designers often collaborate with engineers, ergonomics specialists and quality teams throughout the development process.
Fees for South Africa: R 27 900 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Do South African professional bodies recognise qualifications in HMI and product design?
In South Africa, design professions are overseen by bodies such as the South African Council for the Architectural Profession for architecture and the South African Institute of Interior Designers for interior work, while product and UX design is largely unregulated. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not state degrees or accredited by a national body. Employers and clients decide how much weight to give them.
Will this programme help me get work in product or HMI design in South Africa?
South Africa's technology, automotive, consumer goods and software firms hire designers, usually assessing portfolios, practical skills and experience. A private online qualification can add to your credentials and show specialist knowledge, but it does not guarantee a role. Build a strong portfolio and ask target employers how they view the qualification.
How much time does it take, and can I pay in instalments?
The programme is delivered entirely online and in English, so you need good English for coursework and communication with your tutor. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, so choose a level that suits your schedule. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible if your employer supports professional development.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Explain the biomechanical mechanisms of head injury and their criteria.
Apply test protocols with standardised headform impactors.
Verify sharp edges and projections using recognised test methods.
Select materials and geometries that absorb impact energy.
Simulate head impacts and correlate them with physical tests.
Apply ISO 12100 risk assessment to product design.
Prepare technical evidence for product conformity and safety.
Who it's for
- Product safety engineers
- Pedestrian protection engineers
- Impact simulation analysts
- Industrial designers focused on safe products
- Impact test technicians
- Product compliance managers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter the automotive sector
What you'll work with
- UNECE Regulation No. 127 (pedestrian safety of motor vehicles)
- ISO 12100 (safety of machinery: risk assessment and risk reduction)
- UL 1439 (test for sharpness of edges on equipment)
- UNECE Regulation No. 26 (external projections of passenger cars)
- EN 71-1 (safety of toys: mechanical and physical properties)
- SAE J211-1 (instrumentation for impact tests)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (general product safety)
- FMVSS 201 (occupant protection in interior impact)
- LS-DYNA
- Altair HyperMesh
- Ansys Granta Selector
- NI DIAdem
8 modules
1.1Skull anatomy and injury mechanisms1.2Linear and rotational head acceleration1.3The HIC criterion and its limitations1.4Rotational criteria and brain strain1.5AIS injury severity scale1.6Human tolerance and risk curves1.7Differences by age and anthropometry1.8Associated facial and cervical injuries1.9In-depth accident data1.10Workshop: calculating HIC from a signal
2.1Adult and child headforms2.2FMVSS 201 FMH impactor2.3Pedestrian headform tests to UNECE Regulation 1272.4Euro NCAP vulnerable road user protocol2.5Calibration and certification of impactors2.6Impact speeds, angles and points2.7Triaxial accelerometers and filter classes2.8Signal processing to SAE J2112.9Test repeatability and reproducibility2.10Laboratory: headform impact test on a bonnet
3.1Cutting mechanisms and skin laceration3.2UL 1439 sharp edge test3.3Sharp edge and point test for toys to EN 71-13.4External projections to UNECE Regulation 263.5Minimum radii and hardness criterion3.6Burrs, sheet-metal edges and tolerances3.7Edges on injection-moulded plastic parts3.8Verification with radius gauges and scanners3.9Mechanical hazards in machinery to ISO 121003.10Practical exercise: edge inspection of a metal housing
4.1EPP, EPS and PU foams under impact4.2Honeycomb and open-cell structures4.3Plastics with controlled deformation4.4Design of ribs and crush zones4.5Force-deflection curves and absorption efficiency4.6Effect of temperature on absorption4.7Active bonnets and pop-up hinges4.8Soft panels and elastomeric coatings4.9Material selection with Ansys Granta4.10Case study: sizing an EPP foam block
5.1Certified finite element impactor models5.2Contacts and material models in LS-DYNA5.3Automated impact-point sweeps5.4Meshing of plastic skins and clips5.5THUMS and GHBMC human body models5.6Topology optimisation for energy absorption5.7Numerical validation against physical testing5.8Sensitivity analysis to tolerances5.9HIC maps over product surfaces5.10Practical exercise: FMH impact simulation on a pillar
6.1Principles of inherently safe design6.2Risk assessment and risk reduction to ISO 121006.3Hierarchy of protective measures6.4FMEA focused on user injury6.5Design for vulnerable users and children6.6Intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse6.7Safety requirements for consumer products6.8Safe-design rules in CAD6.9Design reviews with a safety focus6.10Workshop: risk analysis of a household product
7.1Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety7.2CE marking and declaration of conformity7.3Euro NCAP pedestrian protection rating7.4Test reports and technical evidence7.5Liability for defective products7.6Incident management and recalls7.7Edge audits at the tooling stage7.8Warnings and risk communication7.9Improvement based on field data7.10Case study: recall of a product due to sharp edges
8.1Definition of the product and its users8.2Identification of impact and cutting hazards8.3Design mitigation strategy8.4Selection of energy-absorbing materials8.5Head impact simulation8.6Edge and projection verification plan8.7Technical conformity file8.8Cost and manufacturing assessment8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, Altair HyperMesh, Ansys Granta Selector and NI DIAdem, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: impact tests with adult and child headforms, sharp edge verification with test tape and impact simulation on plastic components. Assessment is continuous for each module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: UNECE Regulation No. 127, ISO 12100, UL 1439, UNECE Regulation No. 26, EN 71-1, SAE J211-1, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, FMVSS 201.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with LS-DYNA, Altair HyperMesh, Ansys Granta Selector and NI DIAdem, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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