Proefskrif ten opsigte van die voldoening aan die vereistes vir die graad: Doctor Technologiae: Omgewingsgesondheid in die Fakulteit Toegepaste Wetenskappe aan die Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / The economical impact of occupation-related diseases and injuries places an immense financial burden on the inhabitants of a country and its industry. There is little doubt that the human factor is the single most important contributing factor to critical work-related accidents. Safety measures in the field of occupational health and safety are normally implemented according to a specific hierarchy, whereby the use of personal protective equipment is seen as the last outcome to protect workers against accidents and disease. However, there is little doubt that the correct use of personal protective equipment can protect a worker against injury and even death. The purpose of this research was to address a limitation through the development of a risk model that is specifically aimed at the application of personal protective equipment in the field of occupational health and safety. This model informed the factors influencing the use of personal protective equipment, and is instrumental in the prevention of unsafe behaviour at work. This documented method of research analysed various risk models from previous research studies in order to develop a new model, the Factor Integration Model (FIM). This model consists of five components each with its own specific elements that are interrelated. Each element has a specific value that was determined by 20 local and international experts in the field of occupational health and safety. The 54 elements of the model were used to create an electronic Excel®-based questionnaire, namely the Electronic Risk Categorising Package (ERK). The ERK can be utilised to categorise the worker`s use of personal protective equipment into a low, low medium, high medium and high risk scale. The utilisation and efficiency of ERK were tested at six different industries by comparing the categorisation of ERK with that of the supervisors. In order to prevent research bias, neither the researcher nor the supervisors were familiar with each other’s categorisations. The results were compared and the ERK showed a correct categorisation of the use of personal protective equipment in 75% of the cases. It was further found that in the cases where the prediction was not 100% correct, the ERK noted the borderline cases and the human factor of wrong prediction by the supervisor had to be considered. The research concluded that the use of personal protective equipment is influenced by various factors and should not be seen in isolation. The role of both management of a company and human behavioural change should never be underestimated. The ERK is a useful aid to predict risk behaviour as well as the use of personal protective equipment in the occupational health and safety field.

I centrum för den här avhandlingen står det tidiga 1900-talets diskussion om skola, begåvning och social organisering. Tidsperioden som omfattas är 1910– 1950. Det är skolan i de större städerna Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö som har stått i fokus. Det övergripande syftet har varit att analysera den betydelse som begåvning och intelligens fick i relation till skolväsendets förändring. Med utgångspunkt i detta syfte diskuteras hur uppfattningar om samhällets begåvningsresurser och individers förmågor har format 1900-talets samhällsliv. Betoningen på begåvning förde med sig primärt två saker: Att tillvarata god begåvning och att motverka låg begåvning. Avhandlingen har främst syftat till att granska de sociala och institutionella sammanhang i vilka intelligensmätningarna kom att uppfattas som användbara. Det innebär att intresset har riktats mot det inflytande som olika professionella via förhandlingar, professionalisering och vetenskapliggörande fick över skolans utformning. Teoretisk har undersökningen hämtat inspiration hos Michel Foucault, vilket ger en utgångspunkt som betonar sambandet mellan kunskapsbildning och makt. Genom olika gränsdragningar och uteslutningar – ”åtskiljande praktiker” – i utbildningssystemet blir individerna synliga i förhållande till olika institutionella arrangemang och konstrueras därmed både som individer och som grupper. Avhandlingen använder ett historiskt perspektiv för att studera hur makt och vetande i en given tid formulerar vad som är att betrakta som ett problem i samhället. / At the centre of this thesis is the early 20th century’s discussion on school, talent and social organisation. The period that is covered is 1910 – 1950. It is schools in the cities Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö that have been focused on. The overall purpose has been to analyse the importance that talent and intelligence had in relationship with the changes in the educational system. Using this as a starting point, it was discussed how views on society’s talent resources and the abilities of individuals have formed 20th century social life. Emphasis on talent led to primarily two things: to utilise good talent and counteract poor talent. The thesis has mainly aimed at examining the social and institutional contexts in which intelligence testing came to be seen as usable. This means that interest has been directed at the influence that different professionals had via deliberations, professionalizing and scientificating had on the forming of schools. Theoretically the study has been inspired by Michel Foucault, which provided an excellent starting point that emphasises the connection between education and power. Through different boundaries and conclusions – “separating practices” – in the education system the individuals become visible in relation to different institutional arrangements and can therefore be construed both as individuals and groups. The thesis uses an historic perspective to study how power and knowledge in a given time formulate what is considered as a problem in society.