Occupational safety and health regulations and implementation challenges in Uganda

Barriers to the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon

This study aims to explore the barriers that prevent the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon. A qualitative approach was adopted including a document analysis of the available legal documents pertaining to occupational health and safety at the national level and ten in-depth interviews with professionals in the field of occupational health and safety in Lebanon. Our findings show that the implementation of the occupational health and safety regulations in Lebanon is hindered by several barriers including the lack of a holistic legal framework, lack of promotion of a health and safety culture at work, insufficient number of labor inspectors, insufficient training for labor inspectors, lack of necessary tools and equipment, lack of an adequate documentation system, hierarchy within the Ministry of Labor, weak compliance, and the influence of the informal sector.

Occupational Health and Safety Statistics as an Indicator of Worker Physical Health in South African Industry

Operations in general industry, including manufacturing, expose employees to a myriad of occupational health hazards. To prevent exposure, occupational health and safety regulations were enacted, with both employers and workers instituting various risk reduction measures. The analysis of available occupational disease and injury statistics (indicators of worker physical health) can be used to infer the effectiveness of risk reduction measures and regulations in preventing exposure. Thus, using the READ approach, analyses of occupational disease and injury statistics from South African industry, derived from annual reports of the Compensation Fund, were conducted. The publicly available database of occupational disease and injury statistics from the South African general industry is unstructured, and the data are inconsistently reported. This data scarcity, symptomatic of an absence of a functional occupational disease surveillance system, complicates judgement making regarding the effectiveness of implemented risk reduction measures, enacted occupational health and safety regulations and the status of worker physical health from exposure to workplace hazards. The statistics, where available, indicate that workers continue to be exposed to occupational health impacts within general industry, notwithstanding risk reduction measures and enacted regulations. In particular, worker physical health continues to be impacted by occupational injuries and noise-induced hearing loss. This is suggestive of shortcomings and inefficiencies in industry-implemented preventive measures and the regulatory state. A robust national occupational disease surveillance system is a regulatory tool that should detect and direct policy responses to identified occupational health hazards.

History, evolution and future of environmental health in Uganda

This article explores the history and evolution of Environmental Health in Uganda under four key themes: training and practice; research; governance, policy and regulatory framework; and challenges. The article also describes the future of the profession. Through a review of documents and key informant interviews, it is noted that Environmental Health in Uganda dates back to colonial times when the country was affected by diseases including plague, trypanosomiasis and small pox. Concerted efforts were advanced to train cadres that would improve the sanitation status and address the prevailing disease burden. Over several decades, the Environmental Health profession has evolved in many areas of training, practice, research and governance, policy and legal framework amidst several challenges. The future of Environmental Health in Uganda will require more advanced training and research, broadened practice, and streamlined governance.