Seminar: Occupational hygiene and health in the South African context

Date:

Mon, 18/03/2024 - 14:00 to 15:00

Where:

Auditorium (04.330), KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Onderwijs & Navorsing 4 or online via Livestream

Dear visitor,

Please find below an invitation from our friends of KU Leuven for a seminar. This is a hybrid seminar. Join physically at KU Leuven, Auditorium (04.330) or follow online with Livestream. Please circulate widely in your network.

Veuillez trouver ci-dessous une invitation de nos amis de la KU Leuven pour un séminaire. Il s'agit d'un séminaire hybride. Joignez-vous physiquement à la KU Leuven, Auditorium (04.330) ou suivez en ligne avec Livestream. Merci de diffuser largement dans votre réseau.

Hieronder vindt u een uitnodiging van onze vrienden van de KU Leuven voor voor een seminarie. Dit is een hybride seminarie. Kom fysiek naar KU Leuven, Auditorium (04.330) of volg online via Livestream. Gelieve breed te verspreiden in uw netwerk.

The Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care

invites you to

Seminar by Dr. Stefan Linde (North-West, South Africa)

‘ Occupational hygiene and health in the South African context'

Monday March 18th, 14h00 – 15h00

Auditorium (04.330), KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Onderwijs & Navorsing 4
or
follow online with Livestream

Knowledge of how occupational hygiene and health are practised in other parts of the world will make you look at your context differently. For example, some African countries where NWU is involved in projects do not have legislative exposure limits or requirements for sampling programs to measure exposure. How you function in this context to try and reduce worker exposure is different from how you function in a country where you have specific legislative requirements.

The talk aims to share the context, challenges, and opportunities in occupational hygiene and health in South Africa. Dr. Stefan Linde will also share some of the interesting projects OHHRI conducted in Southern Africa.

Entrance: free

Target audience: residents and researchers in occupational medicine or hygiene; Occupational hygienists and physicians; public health

Dr. Stefan Linde, NWU - SAIOH

Dr Stefan Linde is a senior lecturer in occupational hygiene at the North-West University and a registered occupational hygienist with the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH). He obtained his PhD in occupational hygiene in 2018, during which time he investigated skin and respiratory exposure to platinum group metals in South African precious metal refineries. His current research interests include the real-time monitoring of particulate exposure, skin and respiratory exposure to metals, and the retrospective analysis of chemical exposure data. At the undergraduate level, he presents modules in toxicology, chemical stressors, noise exposure and South African occupational health legislation.

Occupational Hygiene at the North-West University

Occupational hygiene at the North-West University forms part of the School for Applied Health Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences and offers a four-year Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) in Occupational Hygiene. All research activities are run by the Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative (OHHRI), a research niche area where MSc and PhD programs in occupational hygiene are offered. Currently, OHHRI has 8 PhD and 18 MSc students registered, and several projects included exposure to hazardous chemicals in various industries (additive manufacturing, gold mining, copper mining, platinum refining, pharmaceutical research and petroleum), ultraviolet radiation exposure and heat stress in mining, as well as hazardous biological agent exposure. OHHRI also has other types of projects with a public health focus, such as investigating the use of pesticides in subsistence farming and examining the ventilation of university lecture rooms. Finally, OHHRI also performs laboratory studies that determine the in vitro skin permeation of platinum group metals through the skin.