Magister Public Health - MPH / Introduction: The Universal Safety Precautions (USP) are a set of principles including practices and protocols, which is meant to reduce or prevent occupational exposures to blood borne pathogens among health care workers (HCWs), during the course of their duties in health care settings. Globally and in Nigeria, significant number of HCWs are currently being exposed to blood and other body fluids while working in the hospital setting (Amoran, 2013; Samuel et al., 2008; Akinboro et al., 2012; Ajibola et al., 1994; Okechukwu et al., 2012). These exposures contribute annually to about 16,000 HCV infections and 66,000 HBV infections among HCWs worldwide (Prüss-Üstün et al., 2003) and about 1000 cases of HIV per annum in Nigeria since the first recorded case in 1984 (Okechukwu et al., 2012; Patricia et al., 2007). The objectives of the study were to describe the awareness of the USP among HCWs in Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), Lokoja and to describe the adherence to the USP among HCWs at KSSH. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs working in departments where contacts with patients' blood and other body fluids are possible in KSSH. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Analysis of the data collected was with Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) V23.0.0 for Mac. Results: Of the 125 participants that returned their questionnaires, 37.6% were nurses, 17.6% were doctors and the remainder were laboratory staff, dentists and hospital attendants. Sixty four percent (64%) of them were females, 49.6% had tertiary education while their average age was 38.5 years. Awareness of and adherence to the USP were observed to be 5.6% and 2.4% respectively. Statistically, complete awareness of the USP was not significantly associated with complete adherence to the USP. More so, 3% and 2.2% of the participants with the number of years in services within the ranges of 5-9 years and 1-4 years respectively had complete adherence to the USP. Statistically significant association was only noted between participants' age and complete adherence to the USP. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were the two USP principles with the lowest levels of awareness and adherence, with 46% and 47.6% on awareness respectively and, 43.8% and 44.6% on adherence respectively. Conclusion: The levels of awareness of and adherence to the USP among the HCWs in KSSH were observed to be very low. There is an urgent need for capacity building of the HCWs on the USP in the form of trainings, and in the long term, there is need to conduct a study to assess possible reasons for the observed outcome.

The aim of the present study was to examine both the individual and organizational level factors contributing to the safety related behaviours of nurses. Effects of the individual level factors on safety behaviour of nurses were analyzed within the theoretical framework of Ajzen&rsquo / s (1991) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and effects of the organizational level factors were analyzed through safety climate perceptions of the nurses. Data were collected from nurses (N=274) of two different private hospitals located in Ankara and their first line supervisors (N=34).Participants filled out the questionnaires including scales of TPB (i.e., subjective norm, attitude toward the behaviour, perceived behavioural control, and intention), safety climate perceptions and compliance to Standard Safety Precautions. The outcome variable was the compliance to the Standard Safety Precautions as rated by the first line supervisors of the nurses. Subjective norm was found to be the only significant predictor of the nurses&rsquo / intention to adhere to the Standard Safety Precautions. Contrary to the hypothesized relationships, intention and perceived behavioural control did not contribute significantly to the prediction of safety behaviour rated by the first line supervisors. Furthermore, teamwork dimension of safety climate perceptions was found to be the only significant predictor of compliance to the Standard Safety Precautions. The results are discussed with practical implications of the findings.Contributions of the study are presented followed by the limitations and some future research suggestions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how school principals understand HIV/AIDS and how their knowledge, attitude and interpretation filter in the implementation of the HIV policy in schools. The study comprises a literature review and empirical investigation. The results of this study can be used in planning and implementing HIV policy in schools. The data were collected by administering semi-structured interviews. Ten school principals from the Dennilton circuit in Southern Region of the Limpopo Province were interviewed. The results show that the majority of the principals involved in the study confirm that HIV/AIDS is an incurable disease caused by a virus and is mainly sexually transmitted. Some principals regard their school safe from HIV infection. Their assumption is based on the absence of HIV positive learners and educators in their schools. The principals are aware of the rights of HIV positive learners and educators. Significantly, the research findings indicate that the majority of schools lack educators with HIV/AIDS training, rules on safety precautions and first aid kits. It is recommended that ongoing HIV/AIDS training programmes be provided for educators to enable them to educate the youth on HIV/AIDS. Additionally, schools should focus on strategies to implement universal safety precautions against HIV transmission and to obtain first aid kits. Lastly, school principals should involve parents and other stakeholders in creating a positive school environment for HIV positive learners and educators. / Dissertation (MEd (Education Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The development of innovative propulsion systems requires testing in suitable facilities that reveal the efficacy of design models and allow for design refinement. The qualification process starts from ground tests and ends in vacuum chambers. The aim of this project is to design a versatile space propulsion facility capable of hosting different rocket engine architectures and providing an adequate supply line for different types of oxidizers and fuels in gaseous form. Identifying the key and critical components and implementing such components for the development of the facility and study the state of the art on safety standards and good practices for rocket engine testing. The test bed should be designed to withstand the structural stresses generated by the engine during static tests, while the supply line system should provide the mass flow required by the engine to deliver the design thrust (maximum thrust of 5kN). In this project, different types of rocket engines and their testing, fuel and oxidizers feed supply, risks involved and safety precautions in working of rocket test facilities are studied. A list of components for the development of such a rocket test facility and design of a logical layout plan consisting of various critical components for the propellant and oxidizer feed system is carried out. A total budget for the rocket test facility by evaluating the costs of various high quality and reliable components involved is produced. By accommodating different rocket architectures to withstand a maximum load of 5kN, an efficient design of the rocket test bed was realized and a static structural analysis of the same was performed that suffice for the objectives of the project.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore if consumers evaluate CSR more into their purchase criterion compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. CSR activities, consumer buying behavior, and CSR as a purchase criterion were combined in a conceptual framework. The consumer decision-making model was used as a framework in consumer buying behavior. In CSR as a purchase criterion, three factors were used to conclude if consumers started to evaluate CSR more as a purchase criterion. The empirical data was collected through two semi-structured focus groups. Group A was ensembled through a convenience sampling method but evolved to a snowball effect. Group B was ensembled through a purposive sampling method. The findings indicated that consumers did not start to evaluate CSR more as a purchase criterion. The main reason was the financial situation. However, consumers have started to buy more sustainable food, especially locally produced during the pandemic which indicated an increased awareness towards CSR as a purchase criterion. The findings also showed that the Covid-19 pandemic influenced consumers' awareness of CSR but the implemented safety precautions in grocery stores had a limited effect on consumers. The research field of consumer buying behavior in the context of CSR can be complemented with the findings in this study. This study contributed to a deeper understanding of consumer buying behavior and if they value CSR in their purchases during the Covid-19 pandemic.