Le domaine de la santé et la sécurité du travail (SST) bénéficie de l'application des connaissances issues de la recherche (CIR) par la mise en œuvre d'une panoplie d’interventions en milieux de travail. Ces stratégies de transfert de connaissances (TC) ont pour but d’améliorer la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs. Toutefois, malgré les preuves disponibles sur la mise en œuvre de ces interventions, il existe encore peu d’orientations sur les pratiques de mise en œuvre dans ce domaine. Le présent mémoire vise à faire l’état de la recherche actuelle sur les facteurs qui font obstacle ou facilitent leurs mises en œuvre. Pour ce faire, une revue de la portée a été réalisée. Au total, 30 études ont été retenues. Trois cadres conceptuels ont été mobilisés lors de l’analyse. Dans l'ensemble, les stratégies de TC répertoriées sont mises en œuvre dans des contextes très variés, mettant en évidence la complexité inhérente à ce domaine de recherche et de pratiques. Ces stratégies revêtent également de nombreuses formes (p. ex. activités de formation) et s’adressent à divers utilisateurs (p. ex. travailleurs, gestionnaires, etc.). Plusieurs facteurs notables exercent une influence sur la mise en œuvre des stratégies de transfert de connaissances, englobant quatre domaines du Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) : les caractéristiques de l’intervention, le contexte interne, les caractéristiques des individus et le processus d’implantation. La spécificité de ces facteurs dans le contexte de la SST est discutée. En conclusion, nous proposons des pistes de réflexion pour guider les recherches futures sur le sujet. / The field of occupational health and safety (OHS) benefits from the application of research-based evidence (RBE) through the implementation of various workplace interventions. These knowledge transfer (KT) strategies aim to enhance the health and safety of workers. However, despite available evidence on the implementation of these interventions, there is still a lack of guidance on implementation practices in this field. This study aims to review current research on factors hindering or facilitating their implementation. To achieve this, a scoping review was conducted, identifying a total of 30 studies. Three conceptual frameworks were used for the results analysis. Overall, the listed KT strategies are implemented in highly diverse contexts, highlighting the inherent complexity of this research and practice field. These strategies also take various forms (e.g., training activities) and target different users (e.g., workers, managers, etc.). Several significant factors influence the implementation of KT strategies, encompassing four domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): the intervention characteristics, the inner setting, the characteristics of the individuals and the process of implementation. The specificity of these factors in the OHS context is discussed. In conclusion, we propose avenues for future research in this area.

It is essential for both employers and employees to know and understand their obligations and rights about occupational health and safety. The study aimed at developing guidelines for the managers of health and safety programmes to promote compliance with OHS Act (No. 85 of 1993) among the food and beverage industry in South Africa. The study sites were from the four selected provinces of South Africa, with twenty three of them located in the Gauteng Province. A quantitative research method which is descriptive in nature was used to obtain in-depth knowledge on compliance to the health and safety legislation. Data was collected from 27 study sites using an inspection checklist and an interview- led questionnaire for the 202 employees. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Most employees on the study sites were young and therefore needed regular supervision, information, instruction and training to promote safe work and reduce injury and diseases. The study sites were male dominated. It emerged that there was general lack of consultation and communication with regards to health and safety matters between the employers and the employees. It was also noted that most study sites did not have a written and conspicuously placed health and safety policy and the OHS Act No. 85 of 1993. Majority of the study sites did not deploy adequate resources to manage problems related to health and safety at work and reduce their incidence. In addition, employees experienced injuries or illnesses at one point or the other as they were exposed to various occupational hazards. Finally, most study sites had poor housekeeping practices. Employers did not have the appropriate control measures, such as baseline risk assessments, in place. This placed employees at an increased risk of injuries and illnesses as well as the possibility of employers facing financial burdens such as higher compensation claims, medical specialist fees, fees involved in the replacement of injured employees or fees for the recruitment and training of new recruits. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

The purpose of this research is to explore the need for, and the legal implications of, harmonising labour laws in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Chapter One highlights a number of factors that call for the harmonisation of labour laws in the SADC region and discusses some of the reasons why labour laws are not well developed in the region. The influence of globalisation on labour standards in southern Africa and the influence of regionalism on the harmonisation of labour laws are discussed at length. The inference that could be drawn from this discussion is that for a regionalisation process in southern Africa to be successful, there is an urgent need to harmonise the region’s labour law system. This thesis confirms that Southern Africa has many lessons to learn from the regional harmonisation of labour law in the European Economic Community and the current European Union. The implementation of international labour standards in southern Africa is investigated. The main areas examined include (1) freedom of association, (2) collective bargaining, (3) forced labour and (4) discrimination. The findings of this investigation show that there is no uniformity in the implementation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards in the SADC region and, therefore, it is recommended labour law should be harmonised in terms of ILO standards. In respect of the benefits to be derived from the harmonisation process, an empirical investigation was conducted in the SADC region and the following is recommended: the harmonisation of labour law in the SADC region will help with the implementation of ILO standards, protection of workers against the economic power of employers in the workplace and maintaining similar benefits for migrants in the region. / Mercantile law / LL.D.

Legislators are placing increased pressure on mining companies to improve their safety performance. The importance of safety leadership is highlighted by its role in safety culture and improving safety performance. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the impact of a coaching program on safety leadership. The main constructs namely safety culture, safety leadership and coaching was conceptualised along the humanistic paradigm, with theoretical definitions and models. In this study, safety culture is employees’ shared attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values about safety that affect their behaviour in the workplace. Safety leadership is the interpersonal influence that a leader exercises to achieve the organisation’s safety performance goals. Coaching is an interpersonal interaction that aims to improve individual performance through increased selfawareness and action plans. A theoretical model was developed to explain the elements that constitute effective safety leadership. A coaching program was developed based on executive coaching and leadership development principles. The empirical investigation was conducted in an organisation in the South African mining industry. A nested mixed methods design was followed. In the quantitative study, a 360 degree survey was employed to assess the ratings of a purposive sample (n=54) along eight dimensions before and after the coaching. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential analysis. Results showed statistically significant improvements on accountability, collaboration, and feedback and recognition after the coaching. The results reflected differences in 360 degree ratings according to gender, race, job level, age and geographical location. The most significant improvements were for females, Africans, management, age 51-60 years, and site 2. In the qualitative study, a semi-structured interview was employed to study four cases to investigate managers’ personal experiences and changes in attitude toward safety. Data was analysed utilising thematic analysis. The findings revealed that coaching was a positive experience and contributed to changing managers’ attitudes toward safety. The research added to the field of organisational behaviour by presenting a theoretical model that enhances the understanding of safety leadership, the development of a coaching program and providing empirical evidence that the principles of coaching and leadership development can be applied to improve safety leadership. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D. Admin. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Le facteur le plus important de pronostic de l'asthme professionnel (AP) est la durée des symptômes avant le retrait de lʼexposition à lʼagent causant lʼAP. La qualité de vie réduite, la détresse psychologique et les maladies psychiatriques sont des conditions souvent associées à l'AP. Notre objectif était d'identifier les facteurs, incluant le statut socioéconomique, qui ont une influence sur lʼintervalle de temps nécessaire pour présenter une requête à une agence médicolégale à la suite de lʼapparition de symptômes dʼasthme et de confirmer qu'un tel délai est associé à un moins bon pronostic respiratoire et à des coûts directs plus élevés. En outre, nous avons examiné la relation entre les variables cliniques et socio-économiques dʼune part et leur influence sur les facteurs psychologiques et économiques dʼautre part chez des travailleurs atteints d'AP. Ensuite, nous avons voulu évaluer si les individus souffrant de détresse psychologique (DP) et de morbidité psychiatrique pourraient être identifiés en utilisant un instrument mesurant la qualité de vie (QV). Lʼétude a été effectuée auprès dʼindividus ayant déposé des demandes d'indemnisation pourʼAP auprès du Commission de la sécurité et de la santé du travail du Québec (CSST). Les données ont été recueillies au moment de la réévaluation, soit environ deux ans et demi après le diagnostic. Outre la collecte des marqueurs cliniques de l'asthme, les individus ont été soumis à une évaluation générale de leur histoire sociodémographique et médicale, à une brève entrevue psychiatrique (évaluation des soins primaires des troubles mentaux, PRIME-MD) et à un ensemble de questionnaires, incluant le Questionnaire sur la qualité de vie - AQLQ(S), le Questionnaire respiratoire de St. George (SGRQ) et le Psychiatric Symptom Index (PSI).Soixante personnes ont été incluses dans l'étude. Etre plus âgé, avoir un revenu supérieur à 30 000$ CA etêtre atteint dʼAP dû à un allergène de haut poids moléculaire ont une association positive avec le nombre dʼannées dʼexposition avec symptômes avant le retrait. Au cours de la période de suivi, le nombre dʼannées dʼexposition avec symptômes était plus grand chez les individus ayant une hyperréactivité bronchique persistante. Par ailleurs, la présence de symptômes au poste de travail pendant moins d'un an est associée à une réduction des coûts directs. Les paramètres de QV et de DP avaient des corrélations modérées avec les marqueurs cliniques de lʼAP. Les plus fortes associations avec ces variables ont pu être observées dans les cas de la sévérité de l'asthme, des statuts dʼemploi et matrimonial, du revenu et de la durée de la période de travail avec l'employeur. Un seuil de 5,1 au niveau de la sous-échelle de la fonction émotionnelle de lʼAQLQ(S) sʼest avéré avoir la meilleure valeur discriminante pour distinguer les individus avec ou sans détresse psychiatrique cliniquement significative selon le PSI. Nous avons été en mesure d'identifier les variables socio-économiques associées à un intervalle plus long dʼexposition professionnelle en présence de symptômes dʼasthme. De même, une plus longue période d'exposition a été associée à un moins bon pronostic de la maladie et à des coûts de compensation plus élevés. Ces résultats s'avèrent utiles pour la surveillance de lʼAP qui pourrait cibler ces sous-groupes d'individus. La QV et la PS sont fréquemment réduites chez les individus atteints d'AP qui perçoivent une compensation. Elles sont associées à des marqueurs cliniques de lʼasthme et à des facteurs socio-économiques. En outre, nos résultats suggèrent que le questionnaire de lʼAQLQ(S) peut être utilisé pour identifier les individus avec un niveau de détresse psychologique potentiellement significatif. / The most important factor in the prognosis of occupational asthma (OA) is the length of exposure with symptoms prior to removal from exposure. Impaired quality of life, psychological distress and psychiatric disease are conditions frequently associated with OA. Our goal was to identify factors, including socio-economic status, that can influence the delay in submitting a claim to a medicolegal agency after the onset of asthmatic symptoms, and to confirm that such a delay is associated with a worse respiratory prognosis and higher direct costs. Further, we examined the association between clinical and socio-economic variables and their influence on psychological and cost outcomes in individuals with OA. Next, we wanted to evaluate whether individuals with clinically significant psychological distress (PD) and psychiatric morbidity could be identified by using a quality of life (QOL) measurement instrument. This is a study of individuals who filed claims for compensation for occupational asthma from the Workersʼ Compensation Board of Quebec (the CSST). Data were collected at re-evaluation, approximately two and a half years after diagnosis. Besides collecting clinical markers of asthma, individuals underwent a general socio-demographic and medical history evaluation, a brief psychiatric interview (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders, PRIME-MD) and completed a battery of questionnaires, including the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire - AQLQ(S), the St. Georgeʼs Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the Psychiatric Symptoms Index (PSI). Sixty individuals were included in the study. Being older, having a revenue of >$30,000 Can. (CAD$) and having OA due to high- molecular- weight agents were all positively associated with the number of years of exposure with symptoms before removal from exposure. Individuals with persistent airway hyperresponsiveness at follow-up had a higher number of years with symptoms. Experiencing symptoms in the workplace for less than one year generated lower direct costs. QOL and PD parameters had moderate correlations with clinical markers of OA. Asthma severity, employment and marital status, income and length of employment with the employer showed the strongest associations with QOL and PD. More impaired QOL was associated with higher direct costs for compensation. A cut-off of 5.1 on the AQLQ(S) emotional function subscale had the best discriminative value to distinguish individuals with or without clinically significant psychological distress according to the PSI. We were able to identify socio-economic variables that were associated with a longer interval during which individuals remained symptomatic in the workplace before being removed from exposure. This longer exposure time was associated with worse disease outcomes and higher compensation costs. These findings could prove to be useful in surveillance programs that could be preferentially targeted for these subgroups of individuals. Impaired QOL and PD are frequent among individuals with OA receiving compensation and are associated with clinical markers of OA and socio-economic factors. Further, our findings suggest that the AQLQ(S) questionnaire could be used to identify individuals with potentially clinically significant levels of psychological distress.

Les impacts des changements climatiques sur la population sont nombreux et ont été relativement bien documentés, ce qui n’est pas le cas de ces impacts sur la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs. L’objectif de cette thèse est de documenter les effets négatifs des changements climatiques sur la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs dans une région d’un pays industrialisé à climat tempéré, comme le Québec. Pour y arriver, deux approches ont été utilisées : a) les dangers et les effets sanitaires ont été identifiés par une revue de la littérature validée par des experts nationaux et internationaux, et des priorités de recherche ont été établies à l’aide d’une méthode de consultation itérative, b) des modèles statistiques, utiles à l’estimation des impacts sanitaires des changements climatiques, ont été développés pour apprécier les associations entre la survenue de lésions professionnelles et l’exposition des travailleurs aux chaleurs estivales et à l’ozone troposphérique, deux problématiques préoccupantes pour le Québec. Le bilan des connaissances a mis en évidence cinq catégories de dangers pouvant affecter directement ou indirectement la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs au Québec (vagues de chaleur, polluants de l’air, rayonnements ultraviolets, événements météorologiques extrêmes, maladies vectorielles transmissibles et zoonoses) et cinq conditions pouvant entraîner des modifications dans l’environnement de travail et pouvant ultimement affecter négativement la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs (changements dans les méthodes agricoles et d’élevage, altérations dans l’industrie de la pêche, perturbations de l’écosystème forestier, dégradation de l’environnement bâti et émergence de nouvelles industries vertes). Quant aux modélisations, elles suggèrent que les indemnisations quotidiennes pour des maladies liées à la chaleur et pour des accidents de travail augmentent avec les températures estivales, et que ces associations varient selon l’âge des travailleurs, le secteur industriel et la catégorie professionnelle (manuelle vs autre). Des associations positives statistiquement non significatives entre les indemnisations pour des atteintes respiratoires aiguës et les concentrations d’ozone troposphérique ont aussi été observées. Dans l’ensemble, cette thèse a permis de dégager douze pistes de recherche prioritaires pour le Québec se rapportant à l’acquisition de connaissances, à la surveillance épidémiologique et au développement de méthodes d’adaptation. Selon les résultats de cette recherche, les intervenants en santé au travail et les décideurs devraient déployer des efforts pour protéger la santé et la sécurité des travailleurs et mettre en place des actions préventives en vue des changements climatiques. / The impacts of climate change on human health are multiple and have been extensively studied in the general population, whereas these impacts on the working population have received little attention. In this perspective, the objective of this research is to document the negative effects of climate change on Occupational health and safety (OHS) in northern industrialized countries with a temperate climate, such as in Quebec. To achieve this goal, two approaches were used: a) exposure/hazards and potential effects of climate change on OHS were identified using a narrative review of the scientific literature validated by a working group of international and national experts and Quebec’s stakeholders, and research priorities applicable to the Quebec context were established by a consensus approach, b) statistical models, useful for quantifying the health impacts of climate change, were developed to estimate the associations between occupational illnesses, injuries and exposure to summer outdoor temperatures or tropospheric ozone, as these climate conditions are among the most preoccupying issues related to climate change in Quebec. The literature highlighted five categories of hazards that are likely to impact OHS in Quebec (heat waves/increased temperatures, air pollutants, UV radiation, extreme weather events, vector-borne/zoonotic diseases) and five conditions that could potentially affect the working environment and negatively impact the OHS (changes in agriculture/breeding methods, alterations in the fishing industry, disruptions of the forest ecosystem, deterioration of the built environment and emerging green industries). The modeled associations suggest that daily compensations for heat-related illnesses and work-related injury increase with ambient temperature, and that these relations vary according to workers age, industries and physical demand of the occupation (i.e. manual vs other type). Positive non-statistically significant associations were observed between acute respiratory problems compensations and levels of ozone. Overall, this work produced a list of twelve research topics for the Quebec context, all related to the knowledge acquisition, the surveillance of diseases or the development of adaptation strategies. According to this thesis, stakeholders and decision-makers should make effort to increase the protection of workers health and safety in the context of climate change.

Introduction : L’asthme professionnel (AP) est diagnostiqué au Québec avec le test de provocation bronchique spécifique (TPS). Le TPS consiste à exposer le patient à un agent causal suspecté en vue de provoquer une réaction asthmatique. Un TPS négatif est possible quand un agent causal a été omis de l’histoire professionnelle du patient. L’évaluation des expositions professionnelles par une expertise en hygiène en santé du travail est considérée comme une méthode précise, lorsque des données de mesure ne sont pas disponibles. Cependant, l'apport de cette méthode dans le diagnostic de l’AP n'a jamais été examiné dans un contexte clinique. Objectifs : Déterminer l'apport de l'évaluation des expositions professionnelles par une expertise en hygiène du travail dans l'investigation de l'AP. Comparer les expositions professionnelles détectées par un clinicien et par un hygiéniste chez 1) des sujets avec de l’AP prouvé par des TPS positifs, 2) chez des sujets avec des TPS négatifs. Méthodes : Une analyse des expositions potentielles par le clinicien a précédé la réalisation du TPS. Une évaluation des expositions professionnelles a été réalisée par un hygiéniste. L’hygiéniste n’avait pas connaissance du diagnostic du patient. Résultats : 120 sujets (TPS positifs : 67 négatifs :53) ont été enrôlés dans l’étude. L’hygiéniste a identifié l’agent causal dans la très grande majorité des TPS positifs. Dans 33 TPS négatifs, l’hygiéniste a détecté des agents sensibilisants non identifiés par le médecin. Conclusion : L’évaluation des expositions professionnelles par une expertise en hygiène du travail est une méthode pouvant compléter l'évaluation clinique pour la détection d’agents sensibilisants associés à l’AP. L’inclusion de cette approche dans l’évaluation clinique de l’AP aurait comme effet de réduire la survenance d’un diagnostic erroné. / Introduction: Occupational asthma (OA) is diagnosed in the province of Quebec with the specific inhalation challenge (SIC) test. The SIC test consists of exposing the patient to a suspected causal agent in order to induce an asthmatic reaction. When a causal agent has been omitted from the occupational history, the SIC test can be negative. An expert assessment of occupational exposures by an occupational hygienist is considered an accurate method when quantitative measurements are not available. However, its contribution has never been evaluated in the diagnosis of OA. Objective: Evaluate the contribution of an occupational exposure assessment by an expert industrial hygienist to the diagnosis of OA. Compare the occupational exposures detected by an occupational hygienist and a clinician in: 1) OA subjects with a positive SIC, 2) Subjects with a negative SIC. Methods: The clinician assessed the workplace exposures during a routine clinical evaluation preceding the performance of the SIC. An expert assessment of work histories was performed by an occupational hygienist blind to the diagnostic status of the patient. Results: 120 subjects (Positive SIC: 67 Negative SIC: 53) were enrolled in this study. The occupational hygienist detected the causal agent in almost all cases of OA. In 33 negative SIC, the occupational hygienist identified sensitizing agents which were not detected by the clinician. Conclusions: An expert assessment of occupational exposures by an occupational hygienist is a method which could complement the clinical assessment for the detection of sensitizing agents associated with OA. This method could be included in the clinical evaluation of OA in order to decrease the probability of misdiagnosis.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 2.3 million workers die yearly from work related accidents and diseases and this is probably an underestimation. Estimates indicate that occupational accidents are a serious problem in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the nature and magnitude of health and safety challenges affecting workers in small-scale and informal woodworking enterprises and to develop guidelines for improvement. As a quantitative research, the exploratory-descriptive and contextual designs were used to conduct this research. Snowball sampling was used to collect data from all the 223 workers working in 88 small-scale and informal wood processing industries in Tiko, Mutengene, Buea, Ekona, and Muyuka areas from July 4th to 30th, 2016, using a structured interview and an inspection checklist. Data entry and cleaning was done using excel and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0 for analyses. The findings revealed that a majority of the woodworkers were males, young and inexperienced, mainly trained through apprenticeship and worked for long hours. There was generally lack of knowledge and poor practices of occupational health and safety among respondents. The findings also showed a very high self-reported injury rate of 86.1% among woodworkers within the past 12 months which was significantly associated (P<0.05) with woodworkers’ age and practice of OHS. Major occupational injuries reported by the respondents include cut, sprain, backache, chronic joint, fracture of the upper and lower limbs and burns. The major sources of injuries included carelessness, insufficient use of PPE and fatigue caused by overworking. Further findings showed that most study sites did not comply with the Cameroon OHS Order No. 039/MTPS/IMT of 26 August 1984 as over half of the study’s workshops had narrow walkways with obstacle and were situated in dilapidated structures. Most workers were exposed to high vibration and noise, excessive heat and cold, hazardous chemicals and ergonomic hazards. The study thus recommends that effective measures be put in place to curb work-related injury rate by enhancing health and safety promotion programmes with emphasis on pre-employment OHS training for newly recruited workers, respect the 8 hours per day allocated for work, provide workers with suitable PPE, as well as other accompanying supplies such as appropriate fire extinguishers and first aids. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

The significance of risk is growing in many Western societies, a phenomenon linked to increasing individualism, personal choice, and outcome uncertainty in multiple spheres of life. Despite being healthier and more physically protected from harm than any previous society, a serious concern for safety and risk control is emerging as a defining characteristic of modern social life. Within the context of a risk-averse society, this thesis investigates the nature and relevance of risk in natural resource recreation and tourism settings. Millions of people every day visit national parks and other protected areas around the world in which natural hazards inhere. Many visitors fail to recognise these hazards, creating moral, legal, and ethical issues for natural resource managers. People travel to national parks anticipating a degree of adventure, to escape routines, and to witness the grandeur of nature. Ironically, the very qualities that attract people to natural areas may also put them at risk. Managers of natural resource tourism and recreation areas in New Zealand are confronted with a paradox born out of visitor demand for nature experiences, a legal obligation to facilitate free access, and a growing social emphasis on health and safety. In particular, this study assesses the risk perceptions of visitors to the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, popular tourist attractions on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, and explores the risk perceptions and beliefs of resource management agency staff. The study also investigates the issue of risk communication at these two sites, and the degree to which existing hazard messages are successful at encouraging appropriate visitor behaviour. Pictorial hazard warning signs are introduced to the sites and their effectiveness evaluated. The findings show that many visitors (especially international visitors) have relatively poor awareness of natural hazards, and behave in ways which potentially compromise physical safety. It is argued that perceptions and behaviour are a consequence of diverse individual and situational factors including limited knowledge of the sites, beliefs about management, poor comprehension of hazard warning signs, and freedom from the normative constraints of everyday life. In contrast to visitors, managers at the glacier sites consider the risks to be significant, and, potentially, severe. It is argued that managers' perceptions of risk are influenced by several important social and site-specific factors, including their own experiences of hazards at the glaciers, perceived legal and moral obligations, the organisational culture, and impressions of high societal expectation concerning safety. The situation is further complicated by the freedom of access principle in national parks, and increasing tourist demand for nature-based experiences. These factors governed beliefs about the subject of risk. This study identifies several dimensions of risk in nature-based recreation and tourism settings. Visitors are at risk of personal accident or injury at certain tourism attractions. Awareness of hazards is limited, visitor behaviour compromises safety, and existing communication strategies are only partially effective. Risk is also apparent in the agency responsible for management of outdoor recreation areas. Site managers perceive a risk in their failure to prevent visitors from harm, whereas senior managers identify risk as primarily financial, legal, and political. Collectively, these factors demonstrate that the phenomenon of risk is increasingly important in the tourism and recreation context, and has the potential to influence significantly both management and experience of protected natural areas in New Zealand.

Objective: To determine if paternal preconception exposure to ionizing radiation through uranium mining increases the risk of congenital anomaly (CA) in offspring. Methods: A population-based matched case-control study was conducted. Cases were infants with CAs recorded in the Canadian Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System and born alive in Ontario 1979-86 (ICD-9 codes 740-759); controls were liveborn infants without CAs identified from Ontario birth certificates and individually matched to cases (case-control file {CCF}). Exposed fathers were identified through the linkage of the CCF to the Mining Master File or the National Dose Registry file, which include those who worked in Ontario uranium mines 1952-1986. For men who linked with a case or control child, radon, gamma and total gonadal doses were estimated for three preconception periods: entire, 3-months and 6-months. Odds ratios were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Linkage of 28,991 uranium miners and 40,482 case-control pairs of fathers and offspring in the CCF identified 431 discordant pairs. There was no evidence of increased risk of a child having a CA if the father was ever a uranium miner before conception of the child (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.74–1.08). Since gamma radiation (especially during the 6-month preconception period) is more biologically relevant to gonads than radon, further analyses were performed on 117 discordant pairs where data on gamma exposures were available. When ever/never miner, exposed to gamma (yes/no), and gamma dose-response variables were all in the model, there was no ever/never miner effect (OR=1.20, 95% CI=0.85–1.69, p-value=0.30), an inverse association for exposure to gamma (OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.25–0.71, p-value=0.001), but most importantly, there was no statistically significant dose-response relationship between gamma dose during the 6-month preconception period and all CAs (OR=1.15 per loge {mSv+0.01}, 95% CI=0.83–1.59, p-value=0.40). Similarly, no dose-response relationship was observed for exposure to gamma radiation in the 3-month preconception period, or for radon or total gonadal radiation in the 3- or 6-month preconception periods. Conclusion: There was no increased risk of a CA among liveborn children of Ontario uranium miners who were exposed to radon, gamma or total radiation during the 3- or 6-month periods before conception.