THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY AGENTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Smallwood ◽  
Claire Deacon
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
South African ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Inadequate Knowledge ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
E Mail ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Clients may appoint construction health and safety agents (CHSAs) in terms of fulfilling their requirements in terms of the South African Construction Regulations. Previous research findings and anecdotal evidence indicate that CHSAs are lacking in terms of performance. However, due to the recent requirement for CHSAs to register, research findings relative to their performance are limited. The objectives of the study were to determine the performance of CHSAs, and barriers to CHSAs’ contribution to construction and construction health and safety (H&S). Registered CHSAs constituted the sample stratum, and were subjected to an e-mail delivered self-administered questionnaire survey. The salient findings include: CHSAs are generally appointed during project initiation and briefing, tender documentation and procurement, and construction documentation and management; CHSAs have contributed to and impacted on H&S a range of factors constitute a barrier to CHSAs contributing to H&S, particularly inadequate knowledge and experience; CHSAs rate themselves as good relative to most composite knowledge areas and composite skills areas; the contribution of CHSAs to H&S could be improved, and a range of interventions could contribute to an improvement in the contribution of CHSAs to H&S. Conclusions include: CHSAs may not be viewed as being able to contribute during project initiation and briefing, concept and feasibility, and design development; CHSAs have contributed to and impacted on H&S inadequate knowledge and experience due to a lack of appropriate tertiary education lead to their limited status, exclusion from decision making and management of the project, and not being consulted.

scholarly journals Worker knowledge of occupational legislation and related health and safety benefits

Curationis ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mogale L. Pilusa ◽  
Mataniele S. Mogotlane
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Positive Finding ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Government ◽  
Poor Ventilation ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Background: Environmental hazards such as fumes, gases, poor ventilation and extreme temperatures might lead to occupational illnesses and injuries. To protect workers from potential occupational health and safety risks, the government has promulgated occupational legislation that must be implemented in work settings.Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge of workers about occupational legislation and its benefits for their health and safety. The aim was to make recommendations that would be implemented to improve the knowledge and compliance with occupational legislation as advised by the occupational health nurse.Methods: A quantitative approach was used for this study. One hundred and ten respondents were sampled from an accessible population of 1590 workers. A self-administered questionnaire was used for gathering data. Data were analysed through descriptive analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences.Results: Research findings indicated that only 18 (16.36%) respondents were knowledgeable about occupational legislation. Eighty-two (75.54%) respondents were unable to mention even one occupational act by name. Respondents mentioned five benefits of occupational legislation for the health and safety of workers. These benefits were that legislation ensured safety, gave rights to workers, ensured compensation for occupational injuries and illnesses, and provided guidance in the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses.Conclusion: Most respondents (75.54%) were found not to be knowledgeable about occupational legislation. The positive finding was that respondents knew the benefits of occupational legislation. To improve the respondents’ knowledge about legislation, five recommendations are made by the researcher.

scholarly journals Survey on the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act at an academic hospital in Johannesburg

Curationis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muraga R. Foromo ◽  
Mary Chabeli ◽  
Mpho M. Satekge
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
South African ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Academic Hospital ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Nursing Managers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Background: Despite the available research findings, recommendations and the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (Act 85 of 1993), there are still challenges with regard to the implementation of selected sections and regulations of the OHSA. This is evidenced by the occupational injuries and illness claims registered with the compensation fund (South Africa, Department of Labour 1993).Objectives: To determine the extent to which the OHSA was implemented at an academic hospital in Johannesburg, from the senior professional nurses and nursing managers’ perspective, and to describe recommendations in order to facilitate the implementation of the Act.Methods: A contextual, quantitative, exploratory and descriptive survey was conducted. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants that met the inclusion criteria. A structured Likert-scale questionnaire was used to collect data (Brink 2011). Stata version 12 was used to analyse the data. Cronbach’s alpha, with a cut-off point of 0.7 was used to test for internal consistency. Ethical considerations were strictly adhered to. Results are presented in the form of graphs, frequency distributions and tables.Results: The study revealed that overall there is 93.3% non-implementation of the selected sections and regulations of the OHSA. These results have serious implications on the health and safety of employees in the workplace.Conclusion: The study recommends that the replication of the study should be conducted in order to determine the extent of implementation of the selected sections and regulations of the OHSA in other government institutions.

PLANT, ROAD CONSTRUCTION, TRAFFIC, AND GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY: PERSPECTIVES OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Smallwood ◽  
Lance Wentzel
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Vehicle Accidents ◽  
General Contractors ◽  
Substance Abuse Testing ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Statistics and various studies indicate that plant, road construction, and traffic safety are major issues in terms of construction H&S. Furthermore, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) during employment are the dominating cause of fatalities in South African construction. A study was conducted among general contractor (GC) members of a civil engineering sector employer association using a self-administered questionnaire. The salient findings include: plant, road construction, and traffic safety are important aspects in respondents' organizations; plant is the more important of the three aspects; traffic accidents account for a fair percentage of total accidents, and respondents' organizations use a range of such devices and equipment to realize plant, road construction, and traffic safety. Conclusions include: respondents' organizations are managing the three aspects, and H&S programs must focus thereon. Recommendations include that respondents' organizations need to focus on drug and other substance abuse testing and medicals, and that plant, road construction, and traffic safety must feature prominently in H&S programs.

scholarly journals Seeing the person, not just the number: Needs-based rehabilitation of offenders in South African prisons

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedo Johann Willem Herbig ◽  
Ann-Mari Elizabeth Hesselink
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
South African ◽  
Offender Rehabilitation ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Recidivism Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
Relevant Case ◽  
Meta Analyses

South Africa has one of the highest crime and recidivism rates in the world. Although widely accepted that crime is a complex and multi-nodal social phenomenon, it is indubitably causally linked to South Africa’s historical and current socio-political circumstances, poverty and  unemployment, as well as the ineffective rehabilitation and treatment of offenders. Anecdotal evidence suggests that offenders are often apportioned the blame for reoffending and written off as incorrigible, without any real reflection on the efficiency and/or relevance of the prison programmes to which they were subjected to begin with. Accurate and relevant assessment of criminogenic risk factors is not only  connected to the major outcomes of meta-analyses, but forms the foundation for treatment-planning and decision-making pertaining to risk and safety, and ultimately abstinence from aberrant behaviour. This article critically addresses the issue of South African needs-based offender rehabilitation in a systemic and diagnostic manner by aligning theory with relevant case scenarios in order to expose the essence of the therapeutic challenges in the South African custodial environment.

scholarly journals Occupational Health (OH) Practices in South African Construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 03003
Author(s):  
John Smallwood ◽  
Claire Deacon
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
South African ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Repetitive Movement ◽  
Professional Category ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Health hazards in construction include: ergonomic stresses such as bending, lifting and repetitive movement and vibration; environmental stresses such as heat, sun, noise, poor illumination, and wet or damp work; skin and respiratory exposure to chemicals and dust, as well as mental stress among managers, supervisors, and workers. In South Africa, these may add to the health problems experienced by construction workers because of poor community health, substance abuse, and inadequate health services. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among the professional category of construction health and safety (H&S) practitioners to determine OH issues in construction. Findings include: the extent to which OH aspects were identified by respondents on projects in 2017 indicates that construction entails exposure to a range of OH hazards and risk; the degree of OH knowledge and awareness is limited as opposed to extensive; the source of OH knowledge is informal; there is a need for OH to be embedded in tertiary built environment programmes, OH continuing professional development (CPD), and a construction industry OH standard, and OH practice notes.

scholarly journals Internets Influence On The Marketing Activities Of South African Companies

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1077
Author(s):  
Kirsty-Lee Sharp ◽  
Ayesha Lian Bevan-Dye ◽  
Natasha De Klerk
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Technologies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Johannesburg Stock Exchange ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
E Mail ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Although research studies regarding the Internets impact on marketing conducted in the past in different countries and at different times produced quite similar trends in responses, advances in Internet technologies and the increased Internet usage necessitated reinvestigating marketers perceptions as to the changes in marketing practices brought about by the Internet. This study sought to determine the South African marketing practitioners perceptions of the Internets influence on the practice of marketing in 2011 and compare these perceptions with those of marketers in Australia 2001 and Iran 2005.A cross-industry survey of the marketing practitioners at the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa was conducted by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were sent via e-mail to those marketing practitioners from whom telephonic permission had been obtained.The findings indicate that South African marketers perceive the Internet to have changed the way companies conceptualise their marketing activities, define their markets, and create value. This study contributes to the practice of marketing by outlining the potential uses of the Internet in marketing and indicating trends across three countries and time periods.

Factors driving changes to remuneration policies in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bussin
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Merit Pay ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Retention Strategies ◽  
Retention Strategy ◽  
Remuneration Policy ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Firm Data ◽  
E Mail

This study was conducted in 2012 and replicates Bussin and Huysamen’s (2004) work, conducted in 2003, on remuneration policies. It investigates the factors driving remuneration policy in South Africa and determines whether these factors have changed since 2003. Anonymous e-mail questionnaires were received from 131 senior company representatives. All participating companies were members of the South African Reward Association (SARA) or clients of a large remuneration consulting firm. Data were analysed using a chi-squared test and factor analysis. Results support Bussin and Huysamen’s study, which found that the two main drivers of change in policy were the retention of talented staff and the financial results of the organisation. However, three components of remuneration are receiving greater prominence than they did in 2003: governance in the organisation, merit pay and retention strategies. These findings suggest a greater shareholder expectation that pay should be linked to performance, and that pay acts as a retention strategy for critical staff.

A Unifying Principle for a Researcher Learning Safety: Reduce Uncertainty!

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Kao ◽  
Russell Furr
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Conveying safety information to researchers is challenging. A list of rules and best practices often is not remembered thoroughly even by individuals who want to remember everything. Researchers in science thinking according to principles: mathematical, physical, and chemical laws; biological paradigms. They use frameworks and logic, rather than memorization, to achieve the bulk of their work. Can safety be taught to researchers in a manner that matches with how they are trained to think? Is there a principle more defined than "Think safety!" that can help researchers make good decisions in situations that are complex, new, and demanding?<div><br></div><div>Effective trainings in other professions can arise from the use of a mission statement that participants internalize as a mental framework or model for future decision-making. We propose that mission statements incorporating the concept of <b>reducing uncertainty</b> could provide such a framework for learning safety. This essay briefly explains the definition of <b>uncertainty</b> in the context of health and safety, discusses the need for an individual to <b>personalize</b> a mission statement in order to internalize it, and connects the idea of <b>greater control</b> over a situation with less uncertainty with respect to safety. The principle of reducing uncertainty might also help <b>non-researchers</b> think about safety. People from all walks of life should be able to understand that more control over their situations provides more protection for them, their colleagues, and the environment.</div>

Reading for pleasure : the influence of reading clubs in selected Bahananwa Limpopo primary schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-155
Author(s):  
Kgomotlokoa Linda Thaba-Nkadimene ◽  
Maletšema Ruth Emsley
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Reading For Pleasure ◽  
Theory Of Reading ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
African Youth ◽  
Reading Clubs

The challenges of reading experienced by learners exerts a negative impact on reading for pleasure, and learners' outcomes. In an attempt to address such reading challenges, Reading Clubs were launched to promote reading for pleasure among South African youth. This study examines the influence of Reading Clubs on learners' attitudes to Reading for Pleasure and the outcomes thereof. The study was informed by the Top-Down Model of Reading and the Cultural Theory of reading for pleasure. Interviews were conducted in five purposively selected schools with five Sparker coaches and five teachers. The research findings reveal a positive influence of Reading Clubs on reading for pleasure and learners' outcomes. This is reflected through improved levels of reading for pleasure. This study ultimately recommends that schools learn from best practices of Reading Clubs, and that government strive to make Reading Clubs a sustainable project.

Design, Development and Comparison of Heuristic Driven Algorithms Based on the Crossed Domain Products’ Reviews for User’s Summarization

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 884-892
Author(s):  
Sartaj Ahmad ◽  
Ashutosh Gupta ◽  
Neeraj Kumar Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Shopping ◽  
Recent Time ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Feature Based ◽  
Use Of Internet ◽  
Day By Day ◽  
Better Than

Background: In recent time, people love online shopping but before any shopping feedbacks or reviews always required. These feedbacks help customers in decision making for buying any product or availing any service. In the country like India this trend of online shopping is increasing very rapidly because awareness and the use of internet which is increasing day by day. As result numbers of customers and their feedbacks are also increasing. It is creating a problem that how to read all reviews manually. So there should be some computerized mechanism that provides customers a summary without spending time in reading feedbacks. Besides big number of reviews another problem is that reviews are not structured. Objective: In this paper, we try to design, implement and compare two algorithms with manual approach for the crossed domain Product’s reviews. Methods: Lexicon based model is used and different types of reviews are tested and analyzed to check the performance of these algorithms. Results: Algorithm based on opinions and feature based opinions are designed, implemented, applied and compared with the manual results and it is found that algorithm # 2 is performing better than algorithm # 1 and near to manual results. Conclusion: Algorithm # 2 is found better on the different product’s reviews and still to be applied on other product’s reviews to enhance its scope. Finally, it will be helpful to automate existing manual process.

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