Browsing by Department "Occupational and Environmental Health RU"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13
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    Aldicarb sticker (English)
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    This sticker highlights the dangers of the street pesticide aldicarb, known as ""Two Steps"". Users mix the informally sold black powder sticks with food to kill rodents. This sticker can be used as part of training to educate aldicarb users of the dangers and alternatives.
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    Aldicarb sticker (isiXhosa)
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    This sticker (in isiXhosa) highlights the dangers of the street pesticide aldicarb, known as ""Two Steps"". Users mix the informally sold black powder sticks with food to kill rodents. This sticker can be used as part of training to educate aldicarb users of the dangers and alternatives. This is the isiXhosa-language version of the Aldicarb sticker.
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    Biological monitoring of workers exposed to pesticides - guidelines for application in field settings
    (2011) London, Leslie
    This guideline was produced for those persons responsible for the maintenance of health and safety measures at agricultural workplaces handling potentially hazardous organophosphate and carbarnate. This guideline has been produced by the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Unit at the Department of Community Health, University of Cape Town as part of its research in the field of pesticide hazards and pesticide safety. The support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in this regard is acknowledged.
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    The ethics of human volunteer studies involving experimental exposure to pesticides: unanswered dilemmas
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2010) London, Leslie; Coggon, David; Moretto, Angelo; Westerholm, Peter; Wilks, Martin; Colosio, Claudio
    The controversy about the use of data from human volunteer studies involving experimental exposure to pesticides as part of regulatory risk assessment has been widely discussed, but the complex and interrelated scientific and ethical issues remain largely unresolved. This discussion paper, generated by authors who comprised a workgroup of the ICOH Scientific Committee on Rural Health, reviews the use of human experimental studies in regulatory risk assessment for pesticides with a view to advancing the debate as to when, if ever, such studies might be ethically justifiable. The discussion is based on three elements: (a) a review of discussion papers on the topic of human testing of pesticides and the positions adopted by regulatory agencies in developed countries; (b) an analysis of published and unpublished studies involving human testing with pesticides, both in the peer-reviewed literature and in the JMPR database; and (c) application of an ethical analysis to the problem. The paper identifies areas of agreement which include general principles that may provide a starting point on which to base criteria for judgements as to the ethical acceptability of such studies. However, the paper also highlights ongoing unresolved differences of opinion inherent in ethical analysis of contentious issues, which we propose should form a starting point for further debate and the development of guidelines to achieve better resolution of this matter.
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    Fluidized-Bed combustion of coal
    (1977) NAUDE_DP; Dutkiewicz, R K
    A general review of the literature pertaining to the combustion of coal in an atmospheric fluidized bed of ,inert particles is presented. In particular, the phenomena of fluidization and combustion have been investigated and the status of research and development in various parts of the world is considered. A 300 mm diameter refractory lined open top atmospheric fluidized bed combustor has been built to study the combustion efficiencies and entrainment rates of the fluidized-bed combustion process in shallow fluidized beds, with static bed heights ranging from about ISO mm to 23J mm. A low pressure drop the of distributed was used for all of the tests so as to test a system compatible with most industrial requirements. As the combustor vessel is refractory lined, cooling is provided by supplying air to the rig well in excess of that required for stoichiometric combustion. As a result, no oxygen deficient regions occur within the fluidized bed, ensuring complete combustion of both the fixed carbon component of the coal to carbon dioxide and the volatile component within the bed section. Experimental results have been obtained from the combustion of a coal with a high fines content of which there is at present a supply which exceeds the demand. The coal has been burned in an inert bed comprising a closely graded silica sand. It has been found possible to correlate the combustion efficiencies in terms of the bed temperature, superficial gas velocity and the static bed height within the following ranges of these parameters: Bed Temperature Gas Velocity Static Bed Height 700 to 10000C 0,9 to 1,5 m/s 150 to 230 mm by using a bed material substantially different from the coal feed, it has been found possible to separate the (i) ABSTRACT A
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    Globally Harmonized System (GHS) symbols and meanings
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    The Globally Harmonized System of Classification & Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a system with the objective of harmonizing information on labels & SDSs. This card can be used as part of training on the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) symbols and meanings.
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    Improving notification of pesticide poisonings
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    This document is intended to assist health care professionals, environmental health practitioners and health promoters in identifying the pesticide involved in suspected pesticide poisoning cases so as to improve notification. This point chart can be distributed to health care professionals, environmental health practitioners and health promoters to assist them in providing correct and complete information when notifying the Department of Health of pesticide poisonings.
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    Pesticide label card (Afrikaans)
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    Ths is a card (in Afrikaans) to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms and symbols, which are often misinterpreted and not understood. This card can be used as part of training to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms and symbols.
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    Pesticide label card (English)
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    This is a card to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms, colour codes and symbols, which are often misinterpreted and not understood. This card can be used as part of training to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms and symbols.
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    Pesticide label card (French)
    (2013) Rother, Andrea
    This is a card (in French) to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms and symbols, which are often misinterpreted and not understood. This card can be used as part of training to educate pesticide users about the meanings of commonly used pictograms and symbols.
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    Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH) - Module 3
    (2014-09-19) Jeebhay, Mohamed; Myers, Jonny
    Designed to help teach doctors currently practising occupational health. The third module of a total of 8 modules for a two year part-time flexible distance learning course aimed primarily at medical doctors currently practising occupational health. It includes a residential block release component which consists of between 3 or 4 weeks over the two year cycle for practicum. While the course is aimed primarily at medical doctors currently practicing occupational health, it is also suited to selected graduates with appropriate University qualifications in relevant health sciences, as long as these individuals are currently practicing professionally in an occupational health setting. There are 8 modules (the two included here cover Occupational Hygiene and Epidemiology and Biostatistics). Each module has a theme around which the inputs are organised. Teaching inputs are intended to be non-didactic, and to allow student participation wherever possible. Candidates are expected to undertake substantial homework preparation and activities as well as self-directed learning. They will be expected to read widely and intensively around topics, and to provide teaching inputs themselves either directly or by way of specially structured interactive debates and role-play simulations. The content of these activities will include critical appraisal of the occupational health literature, project work, presentations by students as well as epidemiological, bio statistical, toxicological and occupational clinical assignments. Module 3 deals with basic occupational medicine and toxicology. Module 4 covers intermediate occupational medicine and toxicology, and Module 5 is advanced occupational medicine and toxicology.
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    Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH) - Modules 1 and 2
    (2014-09-19) Myers, Jonny
    Designed to help teach doctors currently practising occupational health. First two modules of a two year part-time flexible distance learning course aimed primarily at medical doctors currently practising occupational health. It includes a residential block release component which consists of between 3 or 4 weeks over the two year cycle for practicum. There will be substantial requirements for homework in the form of assignments and project related work, expected self-directed learning and distance communication between students and teachers extending over the two years. While the course is aimed primarily at medical doctors currently practicing occupational health, it is also suited to selected graduates with appropriate University qualifications in relevant health sciences, as long as these individuals are currently practicing professionally in an occupational health setting. There are 8 modules (the two included here cover Occupational Hygiene and Epidemiology & Biostatistics). Each module has a theme around which the inputs are organised. Teaching inputs are intended to be non-didactic, and to allow student participation wherever possible. Candidates are expected to undertake substantial homework preparation and activities as well as self-directed learning. They will be expected to read widely and intensively around topics, and to provide teaching inputs themselves either directly or by way of specially structured interactive debates and role-play simulations. The content of these activities will include critical appraisal of the occupational health literature, project work, presentations by students as well as epidemiological, bio statistical, toxicological and occupational clinical assignments.
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    The Psychometric properties of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire for Patients with Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain
    (2007) Buchanan, Helen
    Purpose: Functional status measures are currently not widely used in South Africa to facilitate clinical decision-making or document treatment outcomes for patients with low back pain (LBP). This study investigated the internal consistency and clinical utility of a back-specific functional status measure, the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and determined its ability to confirm the need for spinal fusion surgery. Method: Aretrospective, descriptive design was used with 42 patients with chronic mechanical low back pain who consulted a private Orthopaedic surgeon in Cape Town over a one year period. All patients completed the RMDQ prior to their consultation. On completion of the medical examination, a rating for surgery was determined for each patient. The completed questionnaires were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The mean RMDQ score was 8.6 (N=42; median=9.0; range=2-21). Cronbach’s alpha showed a high internal consistency between items (.92). A categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) identified two distinct dimensions in the RMDQ. Item reduction improved the internal consistency and thus the construct validity of the RMDQ. There was a low correlation between the surgeon’s rating for surgery and RMDQ scores (r=.40; P<.01). Conclusion: The RMDQ shows some good psychometric properties but some adjustments could improve it. The RMDQ cannot be used to predict the need for spinal fusion surgery.