Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa
Globally, access to occupational health and safety (OHS) by workers has remained at very low levels. The organization and implementation of OHS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana has remained at suboptimal levels. Inadequacy of human resource capital, training, and education in the fiel...
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Ubiquity Press
2022
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| author | Moyo, Dingani Zungu, Muzimkhulu Kgalamono, Spoponki Mwila, Chimba D. |
| author_facet | Moyo, Dingani Zungu, Muzimkhulu Kgalamono, Spoponki Mwila, Chimba D. |
| author_sort | Moyo, Dingani |
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| description | Globally, access to occupational health and safety (OHS) by workers has remained at very low levels. The organization and implementation of OHS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana has remained at suboptimal levels. Inadequacy of human resource capital, training, and education in the field of OHS has had a major negative impact on the improvement of worker access to such services in expanding economies. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana have expanding economies with active mining and agricultural activities that pose health and safety risks to the working population. Methods: A literature review and country systems inquiry on the organization of OHS services in the 4 countries was carried out. Because of the infancy and underdevelopment of OHS in southern Africa, literature on the status of this topic is limited. Results: In the 4 countries under review, OHS services are a function shared either wholly or partially by 3 ministries, namely Health, Labor, and Mining. Other ministries, such as Environment and Agriculture, carry small fragments of OHS function. The 4 countries are at different stages of OHS legislative frameworks that guide the practice of health and safety in the workplace. Inadequacies in human resource capital and expertise in occupational health and safety are noted major constraints in the implementation and compliance to health and safety initiatives in the work place. South Africa has a more mature system than Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Lack of specialized training in occupational health services, such as occupational medicine specialization for physicians, has been a major drawback in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Discussion: The full adoption and success of OHS systems in Southern Africa remains constrained. Training and education in OHS, especially in occupational medicine, will enhance the development and maturation of occupational health in southern Africa. Capacitating primary health services with basic occupational health knowledge would be invaluable in bridging the current skills deficit. Introducing short courses and foundational tracks in occupational medicine for general medical practitioners would be invaluable. |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
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| spelling | ir-11408-51082022-08-12T09:42:23Z Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa Moyo, Dingani Zungu, Muzimkhulu Kgalamono, Spoponki Mwila, Chimba D. Occupational health and safet Southern Africa Worker’s health Occupational health acces Health system Globally, access to occupational health and safety (OHS) by workers has remained at very low levels. The organization and implementation of OHS in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana has remained at suboptimal levels. Inadequacy of human resource capital, training, and education in the field of OHS has had a major negative impact on the improvement of worker access to such services in expanding economies. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana have expanding economies with active mining and agricultural activities that pose health and safety risks to the working population. Methods: A literature review and country systems inquiry on the organization of OHS services in the 4 countries was carried out. Because of the infancy and underdevelopment of OHS in southern Africa, literature on the status of this topic is limited. Results: In the 4 countries under review, OHS services are a function shared either wholly or partially by 3 ministries, namely Health, Labor, and Mining. Other ministries, such as Environment and Agriculture, carry small fragments of OHS function. The 4 countries are at different stages of OHS legislative frameworks that guide the practice of health and safety in the workplace. Inadequacies in human resource capital and expertise in occupational health and safety are noted major constraints in the implementation and compliance to health and safety initiatives in the work place. South Africa has a more mature system than Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Lack of specialized training in occupational health services, such as occupational medicine specialization for physicians, has been a major drawback in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Discussion: The full adoption and success of OHS systems in Southern Africa remains constrained. Training and education in OHS, especially in occupational medicine, will enhance the development and maturation of occupational health in southern Africa. Capacitating primary health services with basic occupational health knowledge would be invaluable in bridging the current skills deficit. Introducing short courses and foundational tracks in occupational medicine for general medical practitioners would be invaluable. 2022-08-12T09:42:23Z 2022-08-12T09:42:23Z 2015-07 Article ... Howard (2017) [13], for the journal Occupational Medicine, stated that "the occupational health and safety issues facing employers, workers, medical practitioners and researchers in the USA are numerous". Moyo et al. (2015) [14] state that occupational medicine is a completely new discipline in Africa. In most developing countries around the world, there is generally an acute shortage of doctors and OHS services. ... ... Howard (2017) [13], for the journal Occupational Medicine, stated that "the occupational health and safety issues facing employers, workers, medical practitioners and researchers in the USA are numerous". Moyo et al. (2015) [14] state that occupational medicine is a completely new discipline in Africa. In most developing countries around the world, there is generally an acute shortage of doctors and OHS services. ... 2214-9996 DOI:10.1016/j.aogh.2015.07.002 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5108 en Annals of Global Health;Vol. 81, Issue 4;Pages 495 - 502 open Ubiquity Press |
| spellingShingle | Occupational health and safet Southern Africa Worker’s health Occupational health acces Health system Moyo, Dingani Zungu, Muzimkhulu Kgalamono, Spoponki Mwila, Chimba D. Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title | Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title_full | Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title_fullStr | Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title_short | Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa |
| title_sort | review of occupational health and safety organization in expanding economies: the case of southern africa |
| topic | Occupational health and safet Southern Africa Worker’s health Occupational health acces Health system |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11408/5108 |
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