PPE Industry Articles

Kaiserslautern, Germany (01 August 2023) – An important challenge for the acceptance of autonomous driving is to ensure the safety of road users without risking a loss of speed. A team of scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE), the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems (IKS), and t ...more

Kaiserslautern, Germany (01 August 2023) – According to the Government Statistics Office, more than 358,000 people were injured in traffic accidents in Germany in 2022. Airbags often prevent more serious injuries. While driving, airbags are normally hidden behind a high-grade plastic panel called a slush skin that envelops larg ...more

The second in a new series by Leighton Bennett, Benrisk Consulting, 083 325 4182, benrisk@mweb.co.za.  As a now practicing SACPCMP Pr.CHSA and a SHE and Risk Management Consultant, who entered into the OHS discipline field in 1978, I interface with health and safety practitioners in all sectors of SA’s industries and busin ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (17 August 2023) – Mining companies face significant safety risks associated with the use of nyaope and cannabis among their employees, jeopardising both the well-being of workers and the overall safety of operations. These substances can severely impair users' ability to concentrate, posing challenges to m ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (05 September 2023) – Recent media coverage on the Samancor Chrome Ltd v Willemse dispute may have created a false impression that breathalyser results alone cannot be used to dismiss an employee, without corroboration from a blood alcohol test. Such media coverage is incorrect and misleading. Breathalyser ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Medical mask manufacturer Handel Street Medical is gearing up to manufacture 4-ply technology masks made from zinc-embedded polyamide polymer matrix supplied by our technology partner, Ascend Performance Materials.Production, at a rate of 20 000 masks/day, will begin in September 2023 and will be available to ...more

Since 2014, the UK-based Royal Academy of Engineering has awarded an annual ‘Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation’, which this year has been given to 2 recipients, from South Africa and Uganda. The South African entry is aimed at improving women’s health, the Ugandan one at upscaling security. ...more

An end in sight to the cruelty of using live rabbits.Würzburg, Germany (01 March 2023) – In the worst-case scenario, getting chemicals in your eyes can lead to blindness. Until now, the eye irritancy potential of chemical substances has had to be assessed using the Draize test on live rabbits – a standard implemented ...more

Magdeburg, Germany (01 March 2023) – Lines in natural gas grids must be maintained and serviced regularly. This entails using flares to vent the natural gas. With FlareSimulator, research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF have developed an assistive tool that calculates the correct ...more

At an OSHAfrica conference, speakers raised the topics of ‘Health & Safety Management Systems’ and ‘Safety Risk Management Systems’ which many people think of as vastly separated from each other.The proposed Occupational Health & Safety Amendment Act (OHSAct) (not promulgated yet) is expected to require saf ...more