Identification of health and safety performance improvement indicators for small and medium construction enterprises: a Delphi consensus study
- Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo C.
- Date: 2011-09
- Subjects: Health and safety , Performance improvement , Small and medium construction enterprises , Delphi approach
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5323 , ISSN 2281-4612 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8234
- Description: This study sought to identify and validate a comprehensive set of health and safety (H&S) leading indicator metrics that will enable small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) personnel to monitor the level of H&S performance in their projects. The Delphi approach was used where the opinion of H&S experts, academics and industry practitioners were canvassed on 64 potential indicator metrics, categorized in 10 elements or leading indicators that will enable H&S performance improvement e.g. reduction in accidents, injuries, diseases but to name a few. The experts rated each indicator metric on a 10-point Likert scale of impact, where 1= no major impact or 10% impact and 10 = major impact or 100% impact. Consensus was reached on 32 indicator metrics after four successive rounds of Delphi if the indicators attracted final scores of, percentage median impact of 90% to 100% which is 9.00 to 10.00 median rating and over 50% of respondents rating the indicator metrics in the band of 9.00 to 10.00 or 90% to 100% impact to improve H&S performance. The experts had the opportunity to reconsider their scores informed by the group median score in rounds 2, 3 and 4. The limitation of the study was the reliance of a structured questionnaire in the first round as experts were not allowed to add any new indicators, until the fourth round. This study contributes to the H&S body of knowledge where no consensus has been reached pertaining to the indicator metrics that have major impact to improve H&S performance at project level of construction SMEs in South Africa.
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Identification of health and safety performance improvement indicators for small and medium construction enterprises : a Delphi consensus study
- Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo C.
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Health and safety , Performance improvement , Small business - Safety measures
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5328 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8623
- Description: This study sought to identify and validate a comprehensive set of health and safety (H&S) leading indicator metrics that will enable small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) personnel to monitor the level of H&S performance in their projects. The Delphi approach was used where the opinion of H&S experts, academics and industry practitioners were canvassed on 64 potential indicator metrics, categorized in 10 elements or leading indicators that will enable H&S performance improvement e.g. reduction in accidents, injuries, diseases but to name a few. The experts rated each indicator metric on a 10-point Likert scale of impact, where 1= no major impact or 10% impact and 10 = major impact or 100% impact. Consensus was reached on 32 indicator metrics after four successive rounds of Delphi if the indicators attracted final scores of, percentage median impact of 90% to 100% which is 9.00 to 10.00 median rating and over 50% of respondents rating the indicator metrics in the band of 9.00 to 10.00 or 90% to 100% impact to improve H&S performance. The experts had the opportunity to reconsider their scores informed by the group median score in rounds 2, 3 and 4. The limitation of the study was the reliance of a structured questionnaire in the first round as experts were not allowed to add any new indicators, until the fourth round. This study contributes to the H&S body of knowledge where no consensus has been reached pertaining to the indicator metrics that have major impact to improve H&S performance at project level of construction SMEs in South Africa.
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Identifying factors influencing construction workers’ food choices in Gauteng, South Africa: A pilot investigation
- Authors: Okoro, C. , Musonda, I. , Agumba, J.
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Construction , Health and safety , Nutrition
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/390987 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/122323 , uj:20639 , Citation: Okoro, C, Musonda, I. & Agumba, J. 2016. Identifying factors influencing construction workers’ food choices in Gauteng, South Africa: A pilot investigation.
- Description: Abstract: Background: Nutrition is linked with health and safety performance of workers. However, there is scant literature focusing on the nutrition of construction workers, especially in South Africa. Methods: This pilot study investigated the factors that influence the nutrition of construction workers. A survey was conducted and data were analysed using Microsoft Excel to determine mean scores and to rank the factors. Results: Nutritional knowledge, economic factors and physiological factors were identified as influencing construction workers’ food choices. Conclusion: These findings provide information that can be used for targeting construction workers’ nutrition which could, in turn, improve health and safety performance on construction sites. Identifying nutrition-influencing factors allows for the design of intervention programmes for construction workers.
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Rasberry Pi and BeagleBones : evaluating a cost effective GPS system for on‐mine navigation
- Authors: Grobler, H. C. I. , Van der Walt, C.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Navigation , Health and safety , Mine survey
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/241333 , uj:24843 , Citation: Grobler, H.C.I. & Van der Walt, C. 2017. Rasberry Pi and BeagleBones : evaluating a cost effective GPS system for on‐mine navigation.
- Description: Abstract: The South African Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) requires the mine surveyor to inform the manager of all workings within 100 metres of other workings, abandoned areas and hazardous accumulations of water or gas. The main purpose of this requirement is to ensure that all employees are aware and can take all the necessary precautions against un‐planned breakthroughs, falls of ground and subsidence. In the case where mines are mining through abandoned workings in order to remove remnant pillars and previously unmined reserves, the potential for subsidence and equipment falling into excavated areas become a reality. A single incident where a machine falls into a collapsed working can amount to in excess of R1 million per incident, excluding the risk of loss of life or serious injury. An unplanned collapse of workings in the specific case study can also lead to sufficient air flow into the old underground to cause spontaneous combustion of the remaining pillars. Although systems for navigation of drill rigs exist the cost to deploy a similar unit to all vehicles in the mining area is prohibitive. A low‐cost system that can navigate a vehicle and indicate to the operator what the subsurface features look like in the direct surroundings of the vehicle was developed using off‐the‐shelf technologies. This paper discusses the process of developing a lowcost navigation system towards a real time information management system for a mining operation. Benefits from this system may be applied in underground navigation and guiding rescue services in the search of illegal miners in abandoned mines.
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A health and safety model for occupational exposure to radiofrequency fields and static magnetic fields from 1.5 and 3 T MRI scanners
- Authors: Rathebe, Phoka , Weyers, C. , Raphela, F.
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Health and safety , Occupational exposure , Model
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/426304 , uj:36561 , Rathebe, P., Weyers, C., Raphela, F.: A health and safety model for occupational exposure to radiofrequency fields and static magnetic fields from 1.5 and 3 T MRI scanners.
- Description: Abstract: The exposure of MRI staff to SMFs and RF fields in the MRI units happen as a result of their induced movement in the MRI room during patients’ examination. Exposure to SMFs among health care workers has been associated with vertigo, nausea, increased heart rate, hypothermia and metallic taste in the mouth. The only known adverse effects associated with RF fields’ exposure include induced tissue heating, and the scientific arguments regarding non-thermal effects are inconclusive. The emission of MRI-related electromagnetic fields and exposure of workers to RF energy and SMFs can be reduced through implementation of reasonably practicable control measures. This study attempts to recommend the hierarchy of controls that can be implemented in the MRI units to reduce emissions and exposure of MRI staff to RF energy and SMFs. The controls are recommended based on exposure assessment conducted to quantify the exposure levels and self-reported priori-related and unrelated health consequences. In the MRI units, elimination is an impractical measure, hence, the implementation of engineering and administrative control measures as well as the utilisation of personal protective equipment (PPE) are recommended to mitigate exposure. Engineering controls include modification of MRI scanners to reduce emissions while administration controls include the design of work schedules and processes to be adaptive by MRI staff. PPE is recommended as a last resort and include protective equipment that are fit to reduce exposure arriving to workers. In South Africa, there is no legislation to assist in enforcing exposure limits and as a result, exposure levels are uncontrolled. The model of this kind could assist in reducing exposure levels in the MRI units and substantially reduce exposure-related effects amongst workers.
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