Background: The South African mining industry (SAMI) has long faced a high burden of tuberculosis (TB). Recognising the need to strengthen employer interventions, the Masoyise iTB project was launched in 2015 to focus on reducing the impact of TB, and was expanded in 2019 into the Masoyise Health Programme (MHP) to include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), occupational lung diseases, and non-communicable diseases in the SAMI.
Objective: To assess the impact of the MHP, by describing trends in TB notification rates in the SAMI from 2015 to 2022.
Methods: We conducted an ecological study to analyse trends in TB case notifications from the MHP, Mine Health Safety Inspectorate (MHSI), Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD), and the general South African population. Data were plotted and tabulated, focusing on rates before and since the implementation of the MHP. Poisson regression analysis was used to calculate the average annual rates of change in TB case notifications.
Results: At the inception of the MHP, TB rates were 1 225 and 523 per 100 000 population in the SAMI and general population, respectively. From 2015 to 2022, the annual rate of decline in TB case notifications in the SAMI outpaced that of the general population, at 16.1% and 6.7%, respectively. The gold mines had a higher rate of decline in TB cases (17.5%; 95% CI 16.6–18.5). In 2022, the TB incidence rate was higher for gold (631 per 100 000 population) than for other commodities in the SAMI, and for the general population (354 per 100 000). The rate reductions in the MHP database were similar to those shown in the other SAMI-related databases (annual rate reductions were 17.1%, 95% CI 16.6–17.7 and 16.3%, 95% CI 15.5–17.0 for the MHSI and MBOD, respectively).
Conclusion: Industry initiatives play a crucial role in multi-sectoral strategies to tackle public health challenges in the SAMI. The trends in TB notification rates support ongoing collaboration amongst SAMI-related organisations and programmes to protect workers’ health, with an emphasis on gold miners in which TB rates remain highest.

Introduction: The rapid emergence of nanotechnology has resulted in the potential for workplace exposure to airborne particles in the nano-range, but consensus on exposure dose metrics hinders measurement strategies and evaluation. Thus, the association between exposure and adverse health outcomes is challenging to establish.
Aim: The aim of this scoping review was to describe current exposure dose metrics, instrumentation, and strategies for quantifying occupational exposure to nanomaterials and nanoparticles.
Methods: Peer-reviewed manuscripts and articles published from January 2008 to November 2024 about exposure dose metrics, instrumentation, and standard operating procedures for quantifying nanomaterials and nanoparticles in occupational settings were identified, using Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. Search phrases were (“direct reading instruments” OR “exposure dose metric” OR “human risk assessment”) AND (“nanoparticles manufacturing” OR “occupational exposure assessment” OR “standard operating procedures for exposure assessments”) AND “sampling techniques”.
Results: Five hundred peer-reviewed papers were identified,118 of which were included in the review. Most of the literature reviewed focused on inhalation as an exposure route. Mass concentration was the most commonly used exposure dose metric. The chosen exposure dose metric appeared to be influenced by the availability of the data collection instrument. Six real-time monitoring instruments were widely used: four particle sizers and two particle counters. Only one particle counter that was used measured three exposure dose metrics (concentration, mass, and size); the others measured only one exposure dose metric. The filter-based method was widely preferred for sampling. Various analytical methods were used to characterise nanomaterials and nanoparticles.
Conclusion: There is no consensus on exposure assessment methodology in the nanotechnology field, hindering the ability to compare exposure scenarios and to draw conclusions about associations between exposures and adverse health outcomes. Africa lags behind other continents in the use of exposure dose metrics other than particle mass concentration. A combination of real-time instrumentation, analytical methods, and exposure models is needed to provide an integrated exposure assessment methodology, and to standardise exposure quantification in the rapidly growing nanotechnology field.

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are exposed to dangerous, challenging, and emotionally draining work situations as they reach out to survivors of emergencies to provide physical and emotional support. Attending to life-threatening incidents while being directly exposed to personal safety threats is common.
Objective: We described the availability and accessibility of psychosocial support services for EMS personnel in the City of Tshwane, South Africa in 2022.
Methods: A descriptive qualitative research design was used. Twelve EMS personnel were purposively sampled from one of the seven regions in the City of Tshwane, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: Despite the available services for EMS personnel, which they acknowledged, the utilisation thereof was poor. This was due to the limited numbers of service providers and inadequate referral procedures. Peer and self-support were alternative strategies used, and private professional services were consulted. While there is a need for psychosocial support for EMS personnel, barriers such as concerns about stigmatisation, referral difficulties, and resource limitations prevent access to, and use of, services.
Conclusion: There is a dire need for preventive and supportive psychosocial interventions for EMS personnel. Strengthening psychosocial support for these healthcare professionals can prevent burnout and increase resilience. Support services should address psychosocial hazards in the workplace and psychosocial health literacy, and be supported by management.

The field of occupational hygiene was founded by, and historically dominated by, men. However, as more women entered the workplace, they also entered the field of occupational hygiene. This paper highlights the contributions of women to the field of occupational hygiene, globally, and provides a brief overview of the history of women in occupational hygiene in South Africa. It also highlights the impact of women in the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH), the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), the mining industry, academia, and government – specifically, the South African Department of Employment and Labour. The emphasis of this paper is largely focused on the field of occupational hygiene, but the connection to occupational health should not be overlooked. As an allfemale authorship, we wish to encourage young women interested in science to enter the fields of occupational health and occupational hygiene, by showcasing the impressive progress that has been made by women.