THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICERS

Full-time or part-time construction health and safety officers (CHSOs) are a requirement in terms of the South African Construction Regulations. Previous research findings and anecdotal evidence indicate that CHSOs are lacking in various competencies, are excluded from contributing to the management of health and safety (H&S) and sites, could be more effective, and require development. The objectives of the study were to determine the performance of CHSOs, barriers to the contribution of CHSOs to construction and construction H&S, and the potential of interventions to contribute to an improvement in CHSOs’ contribution to and impact on construction and construction H&S. A descriptive survey method was adopted for gathering and processing data obtained through self-administered questionnaires. The sample stratum included a convenience sample of delegates attending a two-day construction H&S summit. The findings indicate that the contribution of CHSOs to H&S could be improved. Various factors constitute a barrier to CHSOs contributing to H&S. These include exclusion from decision-making, non-consultation by site management, lack of authority, and exclusion from managing sites, which constitutes marginalisation. This is underscored by the low ratings of CHSOs in their understanding and appreciation of various aspects, composite knowledge areas and skills, and the extent to which interventions could contribute to an improvement in the contribution of CHSOs to H&S and construction. Conclusions include that the function of CHSOs is important, and that the “CHSO” requirement in terms of the Construction Regulations is justified, that inadequate ‘construction’ knowledge and experience contributes to the exclusion of CHSOs from managing sites, and the actual barrier of CHSOs contributing to H&S, and that formal qualifications would empower CHSOs to contribute optimally to H&S and construction

Importance of healthy older construction workers

Older construction workers constitute a major proportion of total South African construction employment. Demographic changes and an apparent growing loss of interest among young people in careers in the construction industry are contributing to an increase in the proportion of older workers in the industry. There is a resultant decline in the growth of new cohorts entering the labour market. Consequently the size of the older cohort relative to the size of the younger cohort increases. Additionally, general and chronic occupational and non occupational diseases potentially reduce the overall labour force, shift the age structure due to mortality, change the skill composition of the labour supply, and increase labour turnover. This article reports on a study that sought to establish the health status of the older worker cohort in construction. The study found that older workers had problems with several occupational and non occupational diseases and presented with a range of musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory problems and skin infections. These diseases negatively affected work productivity in the industry and increased absenteeism. Further, the majority of workers required referral, many for unresolved non occupational such as various skin, musculoskeletal, as well as upper and lower respiratory disorders. Recommended interventions include regular medical surveillance as part of employer driven health promotion programs

The effect of the integration of design, procurement, and construction relative to health and safety

The rates of fatalities, injuries and diseases from work, has been a longstanding challenge for centuries. The challenge is validated by the fact that there is not a paper, or publication, that appears to have been written worldwide, without discussion regarding the extent of the problem in the construction industry. Despite there being prescriptive statutory requirements applicable to the sector, all attempts to reduce the reduce the accident rates in South Africa appear to have been largely unsuccessful. The review of literature indicates that most research has focused on design, designers, roles of stakeholders, inter alia that relate to construction health and safety. Given the situation noted, the research investigated design, various aspects of the construction process and stakeholders, and the inclusion of procurement as a major component of the construction process. A triangulated, or mixed methods research methodology was utilised for the thesis. The qualitative methodology utilised in Action Research (AR) and a total of three FGs’ sought to develop a theoretical model that would identify multi-stakeholder policies, practice and education requirements. An extensive international, African and South African literature review was conducted as part of the secondary research and the grounding for the mixed methodology of research. The information sought to contextualise the South African paradigm and practices. Two quantitative, multi-stakeholders’ studies were conducted during the development of the research. The quantitative aspect considers the perceptions of those practicing or involved in H&S, the interface regarding the stakeholders and ‘issues’ experienced in the challenges relating to daily work. Themes were developed, inter alia: a general; workers; management (including supervision, responsibilities and pricing); a stakeholders’ theme (including project managers; design and designers, and client), and the construction H&S theme (including the CHSA, construction H&S Manager (CHSM), construction H&S Officer (CHSO)). A total of 22 hypotheses were tested. The hypotheses considered all the stakeholders, within the framework of the research. Only 1 hypothesis was not supported, and hypothesis was partially supported. Three AR FGs’ were held in the Sarah Baartman District (a building focus) and at the Bhisho offices (a civil engineering focus) of the ECDRPW. The research considered the procurement processes that underpins a project, with some elements relative to the interface of H&S, design, the stages of work, and the current legislative framework. A validated theoretical model, the ‘Deacon Procurement, Design and Health and Safety Model’ emerged from the qualitative aspect of the research. The salient findings indicate a tendency in the industry to operate in silos, adhere to minimum levels of compliance, and not determining other aspects that could possibly reduce project and financial risk. Therefore, stakeholders need to work together, across the stages of work. Level of confidence is low among clients and built environment groups regarding H&S across the project life cycle, resulting in the non-compliance, and increased project risk. Clients such as the National Treasury do not identify H&S risks during project planning, resulting in the lack of adequate resources for projects, with supply chain management and procurement not ensuring compliance and technical expertise. Due to lack of knowledge CHSAs’, CHSMs’, and CHSOs,’ are not appointed timeously, resulting in noncompliance, and increased project risk. The construction H&S practitioners level of confidence is affected by lack of experience, not knowledge, in contrast to the lack of H&S knowledge of built environment professionals. A range of recommendations are provided that include, inter alia: development of policy, guidelines and practice notes regarding H&S, supply chain management and procurement; education and training, continuing professional development, training and workshops, and further research

The health status of construction workers

The construction industry is considered to be an extremely dangerous working environment, and therefore the health status of construction workers needs to be considered prior, during and on leaving the industry. Occupational hazards relative to the construction worker are well researched internationally; however few countries undertake routine medical surveillance to identify the health status of the construction worker relative to these hazards. Employers have a higher duty of care to identify workers who could be a risk at work from non-occupationally related conditions such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Work could exacerbate these conditions, leading to absenteeism, poor performance and eventually leaving the industry due to ill health. The dissertation explores, inter alia: the risks to which workers are exposed; the legal aspects; relevant literature regarding medical surveillance, and the use of a medical surveillance instrument used to determine the health status of 142 construction workers who consented to participate in the study. The methodological approach used in this study was a quantitative descriptive design, more specifically, using a randomised cross-sectional survey design. The instrument used to determine health status included a full medical, occupational and social history, as well as a physical examination undertaken by Occupational Health Nursing Practitioners (OHNs). Findings indicate that most construction workers believe they are healthy. However only a small percentage of construction workers did not require referral for further investigation and / or treatment

The Impacts of Applying Metal(loid) Enriched Wood Ash to Soils on the Growth and Elemental Accumulation of Rice

Open access via the Springer Compact AgreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Variability in a young, L/T transition planetary-mass object

As part of our ongoing NTT SoFI survey for variability in young free-floating planets and low-mass brown dwarfs, we detect significant variability in the young, free-floating planetary-mass object PSO J318.5-22, likely due to rotational modulation of inhomogeneous cloud cover. A member of the 23 ± 3 Myr β Pic moving group, PSO J318.5-22 has Teff = K and a mass estimate of 8.3 ± 0.5 MJup for a 23 ± 3 Myr age. PSO J318.5-22 is intermediate in mass between 51 Eri b and β Pic b, the two known exoplanet companions in the β Pic moving group. With variability amplitudes from 7% to 10% in JS at two separate epochs over 3-5 hr observations, we constrain the rotational period of this object to >5 hr. In KS, we marginally detect a variability trend of up to 3% over a 3 hr observation. This is the first detection of weather on an extrasolar planetary-mass object. Among L dwarfs surveyed at high photometric precision (<3%), this is the highest amplitude variability detection. Given the low surface gravity of this object, the high amplitude preliminarily suggests that such objects may be more variable than their high-mass counterparts, although observations of a larger sample are necessary to confirm this. Measuring similar variability for directly imaged planetary companions is possible with instruments such as SPHERE and GPI and will provide important constraints on formation. Measuring variability at multiple wavelengths can help constrain cloud structure.Peer reviewe

Recurrent Hypoglycemia Is Associated with Loss of Activation in Rat Brain Cingulate Cortex

A subset of people with diabetes fail to mount defensive counterregulatory responses (CRR) to hypoglycemia. Although the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear, recurrent exposure to hypoglycemia may be an important etiological factor. We hypothesized that loss of CRR to recurrent exposure to hypoglycemia represents a type of stress desensitization, in which limbic brain circuitry involved in modulating stress responses might be implicated. Here, we compared activation of limbic brain regions associated with stress desensitization during acute hypoglycemia (AH) and recurrent hypoglycemia (RH). Healthy Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to either acute or recurrent 3-d hypoglycemia. We also examined whether changes in neuronal activation were caused directly by the CRR itself by infusing epinephrine, glucagon, and corticosterone without hypoglycemia. AH increased neuronal activity as quantified by c-fos immunoreactivity (FOS-IR) in the cingulate cortex and associated ectorhinal and perirhinal cortices but not in an adjacent control area (primary somatosensory cortex). FOS-IR was not observed after hormone infusion, suggesting that AH-associated activation was caused by hypoglycemia rather than by CRR. Importantly, AH FOS-IR activation was significantly blunted in rats exposed to RH. In conclusion, analogous with other models of stress habituation, activation in the cingulate cortex and associated brain areas is lost with exposure to RH. Our data support the hypothesis that limbic brain areas may be associated with the loss of CRR to RH in diabetes

(Re)creating modern languages: conversations about the curriculum in UK higher education

This toolkit is designed to support colleagues who are planning to review the teaching in their institution. It offers frameworks for thinking through and planning comprehensive curriculum change, drawing on the experience of colleagues from a wide range of UK Modern Languages departments who have recently undertaken these changes or are working through them at the time of writing. It also showcases examples of excellent and innovative practice at module level, providing ideas for (re)thinking how language departments can work with external partners to enhance student experience. The toolkit provides a range of models for thinking about how language degrees are structured

Does anxiety predict the use of urgent care by people with long term conditions? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objective: The role of anxiety in the use of urgent care in people with long term conditions is not fully understood. A systematic review was conducted with meta-analysis to examine the relationship between anxiety and future use of urgent healthcare among individuals with one of four long term conditions: diabetes; coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Methods: Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, CINAHL, the British Nursing Library and the Cochrane Library were conducted These searches were supplemented by hand-searching bibliographies, citation tracing eligible studies and asking experts within the field about relevant studies. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: a) used a standardised measure of anxiety, b) used prospective cohort design, c) included adult patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD), asthma, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), d) assessed urgent healthcare use prospectively. Data regarding participants, methodology, and association between anxiety and urgent care use was extracted from studies eligible for inclusion. Odds ratios were calculated for each study and pooled using random effects models. Results: 8 independent studies were identified for inclusion in the meta-analysis, with a total of 28,823 individual patients. Pooled effects indicate that anxiety is not associated with an increase in the use of urgent care (OR. =. 1.078, p. =. 0.476), regardless of the type of service, or type of medical condition. Conclusions: Anxiety is not associated with increased use of urgent care. This finding is in contrast to similar studies which have investigated the role of depression as a risk factor for use of urgent care