Jacques Oosthuizen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jacques Oosthuizen

Frontiers in education, Apr 29, 2024

There has been a critical shortage of qualified Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) both globall... more There has been a critical shortage of qualified Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) both globally and in Australia that has plagued the profession for decades. At Edith Cowan University (ECU), Perth, Western Australia, an undergraduate degree in Environmental Health (EH) was developed in 2006, however, viability was problematic, and the course was under threat of closure. In 2016 both the EH and occupational safety and health (OSH) majors were due for re-accreditation and since there was significant overlap between the two courses both majors were revised and combined into one (Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety). This new qualification has subsequently been accredited by Environmental Health Australia (EHA), as well as the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board (AOHSEAB) and the British Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The new dual accredited course has had excellent graduate outcomes and provides graduates with the flexibility to move between traditional OHS and EH roles. In some smaller local governments, and in industry, ECU graduates have been employed to work in both roles. The curriculum was developed in consultation with industry and has an embedded year-long diploma course that consists of eight units (subjects/ courses) that prepare graduates to work in a support role to EHOs. The Diploma of Environmental Health course is a scaffolded course that is embedded in the degree, and it has been recognized by the State Government as a qualification leading to appointment as authorized officers under the Public Health Act 2016 (WA). The diploma is more than a pathway course as it is a stand-alone qualification that leads to gainful employment. Most students now enroll in the diploma, initially and gain employment as a Technical Officer, and then progress on to complete the EH degree on a part-time basis while employed in the profession. The diploma is also an exit option for students who struggle with the academic requirements of some of the more traditionally difficult units such as physics, chemistry, and statistics and the EH degree is now a viable university course with excellent graduate employment outcomes.

IGI Global eBooks, 2022

Record-breaking summer heat events are increasing in frequency in Zimbabwe and 2016 was a particu... more Record-breaking summer heat events are increasing in frequency in Zimbabwe and 2016 was a particularly hot year with the country experiencing its worst heat wave event in decades. Currently, Zimbabwe has no coordinated public health response to deal with heat wave events and no specific data on heat-related morbidity and mortality. The country has no legislation for protecting workers against environmental heat exposure, particularly those most vulnerable who are employed in the informal sector. These workers are also at risk due to their outdoor work environments. The article outlines the state of climate and heat stresses in Zimbabwe, as benchmarked against other African countries and France. It further summarizes outdoor workers&#39; susceptibility to heat exposure and the need for the Zimbabwean Government to develop policies to ensure the health and safety of an increasing population of outdoor workers in Zimbabwe.

An assessment of the extent of environmental mercury contamination in the vicinity of Thor Chemic... more An assessment of the extent of environmental mercury contamination in the vicinity of Thor Chemicals, Cato Ridge, Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa and the subsequent health risk communities consuming fish in the area are exposed to.

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Apr 3, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Water, Jun 13, 2023

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dec 11, 2022

Chemical workers are often required to wear protective chemical suits while working outdoors in t... more Chemical workers are often required to wear protective chemical suits while working outdoors in the heat. The purpose of this study was to quantify heat exposures by obtaining thermal data inside chemical suits. A secondary aim was to validate the effectiveness of Lascar sensors as a means to estimate wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). Lascar thermal data loggers were used to collect personal (inside the suit) and positional thermal data. A conventional Quest Temp heat stress monitor was used to verify the accuracy of WBGT predictions made from Lascar data. It was concluded that ambient data could be used to predict thermal conditions inside a Simplair A.E. Tank Suit (C-suit) and that Lascar data loggers can be used to predict WBGT values from humidity and temperature data. The Lascar loggers are small and can be worn inside protective clothing

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Health risks from exposure to lithium-bearing spodumene cleavage fragments are unknown. While asb... more Health risks from exposure to lithium-bearing spodumene cleavage fragments are unknown. While asbestiform fibres can lead to fibrosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, controversy remains whether non-asbestiform cleavage fragments, having equivalent dimensions, elicit similar pathologic responses. The mineralogy of respirable particles from two alpha (α)-spodumene concentrate grades (chemical and technical) were characterised using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particles were measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the dimensions (length [L], diameter [D], aspect ratio [AR]) applied to regulatory counting criteria for asbestiform fibres. Application of the current World Health Organization (WHO) and National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) counting criteria, L ˃ 5 µm, D ˂ 3 µm, AR ˃ 3:1, to 10 SEM images of each grade identified 47 countable particles in the chemical and 37 in the technical concentrate test samples. Of these particles, 17 an...

Although iron and zinc deficiencies are known to occur together and also appear to be high in Gha... more Although iron and zinc deficiencies are known to occur together and also appear to be high in Ghana, a few supplementation studies addressed this concurrently in pregnancy. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 600 pregnant women in Ghana were randomly assigned to receive either a combined supplement of 40 mg of zinc as zinc gluconate and 40 mg of iron as ferrous sulphate or 40 mg of elemental iron as ferrous sulphate. Overall, there was no detectable difference in the mean birthweight between the study groups, although the effect of iron-zinc supplementation on the mean birthweight was masked by a strong interaction between the type of supplement and the iron status of participants [F (1,179)=5.614, p=0.019]. Prenatal iron-zinc supplementation was effective in increasing the mean birthweight among anaemic and iron-deficient women but not among women with elevated iron stores in early pregnancy.

Public demand for residential land near natural wetlands has risen in Australia without sufficien... more Public demand for residential land near natural wetlands has risen in Australia without sufficient account being given to the health risks posed by mosquitoes. A study conducted over the 2015-2016 Summer assessed residents’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the management of backyard mosquito breeding. Backyard inspections identified breeding habitats and quantified the mosquito fauna associated with residential dwellings. Residents living closer to natural mosquito breeding sites were more likely to regard mosquito management and abatement as a joint responsibility shared with their local government authority and seemed willing to take action within their own residential lot to reduce mosquito breeding potential. As distance from natural mosquito breeding sites increased, resident attitudes seemed to increasingly reflect a view of mosquito control as ‘someone else’s responsibility’; typically one for government to address. Consistent with this, residents living further f...

Heat acclimatisation improves the body’s ability to thermoregulate when subjected to heat stressf... more Heat acclimatisation improves the body’s ability to thermoregulate when subjected to heat stressful working environments. In Australia, it is common practice for workers to be flown to remote mine sites, often located in hot climates, where they spend a period of time, typically two to three weeks working 12-hour shifts every day. During this time, workers become acclimatised to the hot work environment. However, “fly-in-fly-out” (FIFO) workers usually spend their rostered time off in significantly cooler climates. These periods away from work “the off swing” could potentially impact on the levels of workers’ heat acclimatisation as their rostered time off is often spent in a cooler environment. Physiological parameters associated with heat acclimatisation were evaluated in a cohort of 5 FIFO workers for the full duration of their 12-hour work shift and across the entire 13-day period of their “on-swing”. Linear mixed models identified that participants’ heart rate decreased daily by an average of 0.8 beats per minute (p\u3c0.001), indicating a decay in physiological heat adaptation during the off-swing. Regression analysis indicated a correlation between increasing temperature and heart rate (p\u3c0.001). Further research is required to determine the ideal FIFO roster in terms of the retention of physiological adaptations of acclimatisation

The nursing profession globally is regarded as being a highly stressful profession. The challenge... more The nursing profession globally is regarded as being a highly stressful profession. The challenge moving forward is to identify what aspects of the role impact on the nurses’ job satisfaction and intention to stay working within the profession. Exploring the perception of stress, and specifically work-related stress generates a better understanding of the stressors impacting on the nurse, which positively impacts on staff turnover and absenteeism rates. It is hypothesised that: H1: Inexperienced nurses are more stressed than their experienced peers. H2: Practice area is a factor that influences stress levels for nurses. Design: The design utilised for this study was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Methods: Two self-administered questionnaires were utilised to evaluate the participants’ perception of stress and specifically their work-related stress. Results: Highlight that 40% of nurses report a high perception of stress. A number of key factors were noted, namely, inexperienced nurses perceived a higher level of work-related stress than their experienced peers. Secondly, nurse manager’s perceived a lack of personal control over aspects of their role. Finally, age and generational differences impact on the perception of stress for the nurse. Conclusions: Due to the nature of the nurses’ role, removing this stress may be unachievable; rather gaining a greater understanding of the perception of stress and the stressors which nurses’ report should be explored. Relevance to clinical practice: This study builds on previous research and understanding relating to the perception of workplace stress, and the stressors that nurse’s report during their career. Findings will assist nurse leaders and organisations to work with nurses to improve job satisfaction, and retention within the nursing profession

Elevated core body temperature (Tc) is known to evoke central fatigue and reported reductions in ... more Elevated core body temperature (Tc) is known to evoke central fatigue and reported reductions in muscular contractions. A reduction in neurological signalling is therefore hypothesised to influence hearing acuity in hyperthermic individuals. The purpose of the study is to determine if hyperthermia induces a Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). Air conduction hearing tests were performed on eight males and two females before and after exercising to a Tc of 38.5°C. All participants had at least 16 hours of quiet prior to audiometric assessment and no obstructions were found in the ear canal. A measured reduction of 10 to 15 dB in hearing threshold was observed between 3k and 8k frequencies in both ears. All participants began the experimental procedure with a Tc of 37.2°C ± 0.02°C (P \u3e 0.05) and achieved an end Tc of 38.5°C. Reduction in neural excitation due to hyperthermia could possibly be attributed to TTS. Thus, maintaining optimum body temperature could help attenuate TTS. © CCH

Recognition to practise as an Environmental Health Practitioner in Australia generally requires t... more Recognition to practise as an Environmental Health Practitioner in Australia generally requires the completion of a professionally-accredited tertiary qualification which includes a work placement or a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component. This presentation discusses an informal review undertaken by course convenors involved in the provision of such programs in Australia, in conjunction with the professional body Environmental Health Australia. The review involved identifying the current strengths, weakness and challenges of current WIL offerings in professionally-accredited environmental health programs, together with a review of the Environmental Health Australia (EHA) course accreditation WIL policy requirements. This process identified a range of challenges including the need to develop a common understanding of what constitutes a WIL activity. The presentation argues that future WIL professional accreditation policy in this area requires recognition of these challenges and ...

Courts have used a diverse range of scientific evidence and materials in an effort to assess liab... more Courts have used a diverse range of scientific evidence and materials in an effort to assess liability, particularly in cases where workers or the public have lodged a legal claim for compensation subsequent on their exposure to hazardous and toxic substances. One of these commonly used scientific tools being epidemiological studies. From a legal perspective it is difficult for the courts to assess these materials. The question for our special issue being: Should epidemiological studies be used by Courts concerning pesticides issues

Science of The Total Environment, 2021

Heat exposure studies over the last decade have shown little attention in assessing and reporting... more Heat exposure studies over the last decade have shown little attention in assessing and reporting the psychometric properties of the various scales used to measure impacts of occupational heat stress on workers. A descriptive cross-sectional survey including 320 small- and large-scale mining workers was employed to assess the construct validity of the social impacts of occupational heat stress scale (SIOHSS) in the Western Region of Ghana in 2017. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance analysis were carried out using AMOS version 25 and statistical product and service solutions (SPSS) version 26 to examine the model fit and establish consistency correspondingly across multiple groups (gender, age, working hours, type of mining and workplace setting). Empirically, our results depicted that effects on health and safety, behavioural, productivity and social well-being were each found to be reliable, with Cronbach's α of 0.722, 0.807, 0.852 and 0.900 respectively. Though there were issues of insufficient discriminant validity as some average variance extract (AVE) were smaller than the corresponding maximum shared variance (MSV), the CFA showed good model fit indices (CFI = 0.856, GFI = 0.890, TLI = 0.863, SRMR = 0.08, RMSEA = 0.08). Also, the model was variant for all constrained aspects of the structural model indicating a requirement for an adaptation of the instrument across groups. The good to moderate internal consistency and construct validity of the SIOHSS is adequate evidence for the confidence required for its reliability and accuracy in measuring the social impacts of occupational heat stress on workers.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

This study analysed historical data collected over thirty years to evaluate the extent of environ... more This study analysed historical data collected over thirty years to evaluate the extent of environmental contamination and health risk associated with mercury (Hg) pollution attributed to Thor Chemicals, South Africa. Data from several sources were pooled to describe pollution trends over time. Total Hg levels directly below the plant remain extremely high and a cause for concern. Mercury levels in fish have increased significantly from 1999 to 2009 (p=0.0001) and the consumption of Catfish poses a risk to local communities with median values of 1.15 μg/g, it is very likely that Hg levels in fish have increased over the last decade as no recent data are available. In 1999 all human and animal hair samples were below 0.5 μg/g. However, by 2010 levels had increased significantly (p=0.016) among people living near the Inanda Dam (median 2.46 μg/g), as well as near the plant (median 2.62 μg/g in 2020). Immediate environmental remediation is required, and the remaining stockpile of Hg needs to be disposed of. Current fish Hg levels need to be established to develop fish consumption guidelines. A comprehensive environmental epidemiological study with a focus on pregnant women and children is needed to develop appropriate health protection interventions. Funding Statement: This research received no external funding. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

International Journal of Health Sciences (IJHS), 2015

Physiognomy is the art of judging temperament and character from outward appearance. The aim of t... more Physiognomy is the art of judging temperament and character from outward appearance. The aim of this study was to legitimize the expectations of facial physiognomy in audience interpretation and recall of safety related messages. Mixed methods were utilized to describe and analyse data for free facial and image description and the recall of facts presented in the image testimonial. Facial physiognomy was explored along four dimensions ranging from more trustworthy/less trustworthy and more dominant/less dominant dimensions and these images were introduced along with a printed message on electrical safety (n=100). Remarkable interactions between a source-credibility subscale and perceived dominance scale suggests that there is an innate frame of reference used by humans whereby decision judgments are made based on another person's facial physiognomy. Furthermore, there is an atypical innate and perhaps evolved, or socialized, response with respect to whether humans will approach or avoid another person based on their facial physiognomy and people do make decision judgments based on dominance, trustworthiness, approach or avoidance behaviour and recall of information differs based on somatic facial characteristics when presented with an avatar of a human face in a workplace safety advertisement. The physiognomic appearance of an endorser can influence the believability and attitude components of potential target audiences; and thus, the impact of the intended message.