title: Health and safety in the Lesotho Highlands Dam and Tunnel Construction Program.
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.
authors.affiliation: colvinm@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colvin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalvie
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Macun
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007927:Lesotho / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*