Colvin M, Dalvie A, Myers JE, Macun IA, Sharp B. Health and safety in the Lesotho Highlands Dam and Tunnel Construction Program.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 1998;
4:231-5. [PMID:
9876631 DOI:
10.1179/oeh.1998.4.4.231]
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Abstract
To review health and safety practices and to determine the occupational health status of dam workers in the Lesotho Highlands, a health and safety audit and a health study of 258 workers was undertaken. The workers were administered respiratory health questionnaires and underwent chest x-rays and lung function and audiometric testing. The audit revealed a low level of awareness of health and safety issues at all levels of management and a lack of occupational medicine and industrial hygiene systems. Noise-induced hearing loss occurred among 92% of the study subjects. Among the 158 dam construction workers, 5.4% had pneumoconiosis. With poorly developed laws and regulatory bodies, unsophisticated trade unions, and little client supervision, health and safety had a low priority in this construction project. Recommendations are made that are pertinent to health and safety management where international companies are operating in developing countries.
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