Thesis (DPhil (Geography and Environmental Studies))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Background The Disaster Management Act (Act 57 of 2002) instructs a paradigm shift from preparedness, response and recovery towards risk reduction. In order to plan for and mitigate risks, all spheres of government must firstly assess their hazards, vulnerabilities, capacity to cope and therefore risks. Studies in this regard, in South Africa, have however only focussed on current risks. Climate Change has now been accepted by leading international studies as a reality. Climate change can impact upon many aspects of life on earth. Studies to quantify the impact of climate change on water resources, biodiversity, agriculture and sustainable development are steadily increasing, but human health seem to have been neglected. Only general predictions, mostly regarding vector-borne disease and injury related to natural disasters are found in literature. Studies in South Africa have only focussed on malaria distribution. Most studies, internationally and the few in South Africa, were based on determining empirical relationships between weather parameters and disease incidence, therefore assessing only the hazard, and not the disaster risk. Methodology This study examines the impact of climate change on human health in the Western Cape, within the context of disaster management. A qualitative approach is followed and includes: · A literature overview examining predicted changes in climate on a global and regional scale, · A discussion on the known relationships and possible impacts climate change might have on human health, · A disaster risk assessment based on the status quo for a case study area, the Cape Winelands District Municipality, · An investigation into the future risks in terms of health, taking into account vulnerabilities and secondary impacts of climate change, resulting in the prioritisation of future risks. · Suggestions towards mitigation within the South African context. Results The secondary impacts of climate change were found to have the larger qualitative impact. The impact of climate change on agriculture, supporting 38% of the population can potentially destroy the livelihoods of the workforce, resulting in poverty-related disease. Other impacts identified were injuries and disease relating to temperature, floods, fire and water quality. Conclusion Risk is a function of hazard, vulnerability and capacity to cope. The impact of an external factor on a ‘spatial system’ should be a function of the impacts on all these factors. Disasters are not increasing because of the increase in the frequency of hazards, but because of the increasing vulnerability to hazards. This study illustrated that the major impacts of the external factor could actually be on the vulnerabilities and the indirect impacts, and not on the hazard itself. Climate change poses a threat to many aspects of the causative links that should be addressed by disaster management, and its impacts should be researched further to determine links and vulnerabilities. This research also illustrates that slow onset disasters hold the potential to destroy just as much as extreme events such as Katrina, Rita or a tsunami. It also reiterates that secondary impacts may not be as obvious, but are certainly not of secondary importance.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology Degree : Environmental Health, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Introduction Informal waste picking has both economic and environmental benefits, however there are many health risks associated with this activity. This cross sectional descriptive study assessed the respiratory health risks and dust (PM2.5) exposure among informal waste pickers operating at the New England landfill site in the Msunduzi Municipality. Data was collected from 102 informal waste pickers using a validated questionnaire adapted from the British Medical Research Council and American Thoracic Society. Our study population comprised of 66.4°/o women with a mean age of 36.7 years. Women reported greater use of safety shoes and gloves compared to men. Very few participants used dust masks or respirators. Results showed a high prevalence of chronic cough (57o/o), wheeze (51°/o) shortness of breath (31.6°/o) and cough with phlegm (29.0°/o) among all participants. Among those who reported having ever smoked, there was a significantly higher prevalence of cough with phlegm (45.2°/o p=0.02) and wheeze (73.1°/o, p= 0.05). Similarly, there was a bivariate association between current smoking and wheeze (p=0.02) and between ever smoked and wheeze {p< 0.05). A random sample of 28 waste pickers was chosen from the 102 participants for personal sampling. The levels and distribution of time weighted average to PM2.5 were calculated during an 8 hour working period. Average personal sampling levels of PM2.5 were very high compared to environmental levels. Personal sampling results showed a maximum exposure of 431 J.,Jg/m 3 and a mean of 187.4 J.,Jg/m 3 compared to a maximum level of 27.9 J.,Jg/m 3 and a mean of 16.5 J.,Jg/m 3 for environmental sampling. Mean personal sampling results significantly exceeded recommended eight hour time weighted average for South African National Standard for Occupational Exposure Limit (Republic of South Africa OHS ACT 85 of 1993), World Health Organisation and United State Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for PM2.5, while the environmental mean was within guidelines. This study showed that waste pickers are exposed to high levels of PM2.5 while working at the landfill site. Limited or no use of personal protective equipment increases risk of dust exposure and adverse respiratory effects. The relatively high prevalence of cough, shortness of breath and wheeze symptoms among these informal waste pickers may be linked to exposure to dust at the landfill site / PDF copy unavailable. please refer to hard copy for full text information / M

Breast cancer poses a serious public health concern. This case-control study describes the relationship of night-shift working on the development of breast cancer in 57 women diagnosed with breast cancer compared to 49 women with other types of cancer in the Vaal Triangle area (selected through non-probability purposive sampling from CANSA). The study revealed that women who work night-shift developed breast cancer 1.24 times more often than women who do not work nightshift (OR=1.24 [95% CI 0.52 to 2.89]). The odds ratio was further increased in women who worked rotating-shift (OR=1.44 [95% CI 0.58 to 3.59]). Night-shift work exposure was not statistically related to the development of breast cancer. It is recommended that the relationship between night-shift exposure and breast cancer risk be further explored through cross-sectional and cohort studies, and other breast cancer pathways. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)

More than one billion people, almost one in six of the world's population, are now using GSM mobile phones. The situation in South Africa is no different from that in the rest of the world. The rise of mobile telephone usage in South Africa has been driven by a combination of factors such as demand, sector reform, the licensing of new competition, and the emergence of major strategic investors, such as Vodacom and MTN. It was estimated that by March 2005 there should be approximately 20 million cellular customers in South Africa. The growth in the South African cellular market is proportionate to the potential risks in an environment where organisations are continuously seeking ways of improving efficiency, cutting costs, and staying abreast of technological advances. Elements of risk control such as Safety, Health, and Environmental Management can no longer be left out of the equation while organisations in the GSM industry are considering increasing their networks to meet the demands of growth. Although risk assessments are not specifically defined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993); Section 8 does, however, stipulate under the general duties of the employer that the employer must establish, as far as is reasonably practicable, which hazards to the health or safety of persons are attached to any work which is performed. This situation has changed with the promulgation of the Construction Regulations, GNR.1010 on 18 July 2003; which state that every contractor performing construction work shall, before the commencement of any construction work and during construction work, cause a risk assessment to be performed by a competent person appointed in writing, and that the risk assessment shall form part of the health and safety plan to be applied on the site. This requirement under the Construction Regulations will have a major impact on organisations in the GSM industry. Integrated Health, Safety and Environmental risk assessments have now become a prerequisite before considering any further expansion of the GSM network in South Africa. The relationship between the operational risk sub-disciplines of health, safety, and environmental management, as part of the risk-management function, has been established, and an operational risk-assessment model for the Global Systems Mobile Telecommunications industry in South Africa that measures occupational health, safety, and environmental management risks on an integrated basis has been developed. The risk assessment model for the South African GSM industry is based on assessing the frequency of an activity in relation to the impact on the organisation's business processes, incident/accident potential, financial impact, legal status, and the nature of ecological impact. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

The key objective of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout (measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS)), work engagement (measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), and sense of coherence (measured by the Orientation of Life Questionnaire developed by Antonovsky (1987)). A quantitative study using a cross-sectional survey research design was conducted on a randomly selected sample (N = 178) of nurses at a central hospital in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A theoretical relationship was established between the variables. The empirical relationship revealed statistically significant negative relationship between burnout and work engagement. A statistically significant negative relationship was also established between burnout and SOC. The findings add valuable knowledge to industrial and organisational psychology and can be applied to promote employee and organisational wellness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

MPH / Department of Public of Health / The occupational health and safety of coal mine workers is one of the major occupational challenges in the mining industry. Coal mine workers face the looming perils of potential falls of volatile rocks, the ergonomic challenges caused by bending and lifting heavy objects in their daily work, the challenges caused by inhaling coal mine dust which can cause coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and a plethora of other hazards in both underground and open cast mines on a daily basis. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of coal mineworkers pertaining to occupational health and safety at the Leeuwpan mine in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative, cross sectional descriptive design. Self-reported questionnaires with closed-ended questions were administered to the eligible participants. The study targeted the 3200 coal mineworkers who were employed at the Leeuwpan mine in Lephalale. A sample of 356 mineworkers was used as derived from Slovin’s formula and data was collected over a period of 5 days at the Leeuwpan mine. Measures to ensure validity and reliability were ensured and ethical considerations were observed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to analyse the data. Results and recommendations are based on the findings of the study. / NRF

MPH / Department of Public Health / Health and safety issues pertaining to workers are global concerns and a major priority to the employers and government respectively. Employees in general across industries are faced with various health and safety risks. Epidemiological research has shown consistently that waste handlers are mostly exposed to various risks and hazards during their work as compared to other professions globally. This study focused on waste handlers employed by the Thulamela Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study employed qualitative explorative design and targeted all municipal waste handlers. Municipal waste handlers were sampled using non probability purposive sampling. In-depth interviews, using an interview guide, were conducted by the researcher and a voice recorder was used to record data from the participants after obtaining permission from them. The sample size comprised of 18 participants and was determined by data saturation. A thematically analysis technique was used to analyse data. Data from the participants were clustered into main theme, categories and sub-categories. The following themes emerged from data analysis: physical hazards, psychological hazard, biological hazards and chemical hazard. The study revealed that the municipal waste handlers are exposed to various occupational risks and are experiencing shortage of personal protective equipment, ranging from hand gloves, safety helmets, rain coats, overall uniforms, safety jackets and boots, to keep themselves safe from health problems and occupational injury when collecting waste. It is recommended that the Thulamela municipality should prioritise the working conditions for municipal waste handlers, by distributing suitable personal protective equipment such as hands gloves, safety helmet, rain coats, safety jackets and boots) and overalls / NRF

Text in English / The purpose of this research was to investigate occupational health and safety challenges and their impact on health care workers (HCWs) in selected public hospitals from the Gauteng Province, South Africa. Method: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among HCWs in the study sites. A two-staged sampling that include purposive sampling of study sites and census sampling of 2000 HCWs was used. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data from HCWs. In addition, two different checklists were used to conduct retrospective records reviews to assess occupational health and safety (OHS) policy compliance and occupational injuries and diseases occurrence. The SAS Release 9.3 was used to analyse data. The Fischer Exact test and Chi-square were also used to determine the association of variables and P-value was set at <0.05 to indicate significant association. Results: A total of eight public hospitals and 926 (46.3%) HCWs who were all females nurses participated in this survey. Major occupational health hazards reported by the participants include: needle-stick injuries 275 (54.67%), slips trips and falls 67 (13.32%) and splashes 57 (11.33%). The analysis of open-ended responses indicated increased workloads, long hours of work and shift work as the most reported psychosocial hazards among HCWs. The reviewed records indicated that back injuries 22 (4.37%), tuberculosis (TB) 17 (3.38%) and asthmatic reactions 8 (1.59%) were the commonly reported occupational injuries and diseases among the HCWs. The records review also revealed a lack in the conducting of adequate medical surveillance among participants. The results showed poor compliance with the OHS policy and a negative impact of biological and psychosocial hazards on the HCWs. Conclusion: There was a high risk of exposures to biological hazards whilst providing care to patients, thus warranting the implementation of robust preventive measures. As a result, the guidelines were developed to promote the health and safety of HCWs with a view to promoting policy compliance and preventing the occurrence of occupational injuries and diseases as well as their impact among HCWs. / Health Studies / D.Litt et Phil. (Health Studies)

Introduction: Despite being one of the most preventable diseases, TB still remains a serious and largely neglected disease. Nurses as compared to the general population are at greater risk of acquiring nosocomial TB. This study was conducted to describe the perceptions of nurses on the underlying contributory factors that may lead to the spread of TB in the clinics treating TB patients. Methods: Quantitative, non – experimental, descriptive, exploratory and cross sectional design was used. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used. Findings: The key contributory factors identified were insufficient TB training for staff and lack of knowledge on the TB legislative framework and TB policy directives. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for a comprehensive TB infection prevention and control policy, with associated standards for provision and practice. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Introduction: Despite being one of the most preventable diseases, TB still remains a serious and largely neglected disease. Nurses as compared to the general population are at greater risk of acquiring nosocomial TB. This study was conducted to describe the perceptions of nurses on the underlying contributory factors that may lead to the spread of TB in the clinics treating TB patients. Methods: Quantitative, non – experimental, descriptive, exploratory and cross sectional design was used. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used. Findings: The key contributory factors identified were insufficient TB training for staff and lack of knowledge on the TB legislative framework and TB policy directives. Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for a comprehensive TB infection prevention and control policy, with associated standards for provision and practice. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)