PPE Industry Articles
- Clarifying the role of breathalyser results in employee dismissals: Dispelling misconceptions to ensure workplace safetyJohannesburg, 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 ...moreHandel Street Medical to make 4-ply masks in conjunction with US technology partner Ascend Performance Materials
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 ...moreHealth care and security inventions win £25,000 Engineering Innovation awards
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. ...moreInnovative in vitro eye irritation test to replace standard animal testing
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 ...moreVenting natural gas lines: Fraunhofer tool helps prevent fires and explosions
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 ...moreDeveloping a risk-based safety management system programmeAt 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 ...moreImpact of the new EN ISO 20344-20345-20347 – 2021 versionThe ISO standards for safety footwear, EN ISO 20344 (which governs test methods), 20345 and 20347 (the requirements, marking and information to user for safety footwear and occupational footwear respectively) have been updated to a 2021 version.The key changes are:New definitions- seat region becomes heel area- scuff cap: abrasion resista ...moreEmpowering South African farmers to export: the role of BPOs in streamlining the processAgriculture is a consistent, major contributor to South Africa’s exports, offering a wide range of products to a diverse range of customer countries. Food exports must conform to high standards of health and safety, and farmers need help understanding and meeting them, says the writer. ...moreMental health in constructionIntroductionThis article is intended to constitute an ‘Introduction to mental health’, which is a subject on its own, in an endeavour to create awareness of the problem and challenges, and conscientise construction stakeholders.United Kingdom (UK) construction statistics courtesy of The Holistic Health Care Group (2020) indica ...moreThe effect of loadshedding on workplace safetyBy the nature of their work, risk assessors naturally look for things that might go wrong. Loadshedding, viewed by most South Africans as the worst of the country’s many failings, has a negative effect many people don’t consider: it can also affect workplace safety. ...more© S&V Publications
