Background: Back infant loading (BIL) among African females has been associated with postural misalignment and musculoskeletal pain. This study investigated whether front infant loading (FIL) could mitigate such postural deviations.
Objectives: To compare postural differences between BIL versus FIL among African caregivers.
Methods: An observational, randomised control, cross-over study was conducted among 100 South African female caregivers (aged 18–40 years). Kinanthropometrical and postural variables, namely body mass, standing vertex, hip height, craniovertebral angle (CVA), and standing pelvic angle (SPA) were assessed under three conditions: BIL, FIL, and unloaded. Participants were divided into two groups (50 in each). Group one was initially assessed during FIL, while group two was assessed during BIL; the groups then crossed over to the alternate loading conditions. The data were analysed descriptively and summarised as means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess differences in kinanthropometrical and goniometrical measures between the BIL, unloaded, and FIL states. Statistical significance was set at 5%.
Results: Back infant loading produced a significantly smaller mean CVA, viz. 28.79 ± 6.59° than the unloaded state (35.29 ± 6.78°) and FIL (40.57 ± 5.75°) (p < 0.0001). Conversely, BIL stimulated a larger mean SPA (30.86 ± 5.64°) than the unloaded state and FIL (24.83 ± 5.26° and 20.94 ± 5.51°, respectively) (p < 0.0001). Front infant loading generated the tallest standing vertex heights of all three states, viz. 1.57 ± 0.07 m, 1.56 ± 0.06 m, and 1.54 ± 0.06 m for FIL, unloaded state, and BIL, respectively (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Front infant loading resulted in an upright posture characterised by a larger CVA and smaller SPA. In contrast, BIL was associated with a shortened, slouched posture, leading to a smaller CVA and a larger SPA. Back infant loading is one of the primary occupational duties of African females’ daily tasks, which adversely impacts their posture and quality of life. Front infant loading is recommended to prevent deviated posture when carrying infants.

Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) is essential for preventing infection-related harm in healthcare and public settings. In the hairdressing industry, effective IPC practices protect both clients and hairdressers; however, implementation is challenged by context-specific factors such as economic capacity and infrastructure.
Objective: We explored perceived barriers to IPC of hairdressers and their clients in formal, semiformal, and informal hairdressing salons in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, North West province, South Africa.
Methods: A cross-sectional mixed methods study design was used. Data were collected from December 2020 to August 2021. Qualitative data were obtained through individual interviews with 20 purposively sampled salon clients. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 272 hairdressers selected through convenience sampling; a self-administered questionnaire was used. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and the findings were integrated.
Results: Most of the salon clients were women (n = 18, 90.0%); 12 (60.0%) frequented semi-formal salons. Of the 272 hairdressers, 52.6% (n = 143) had no formal hairdressing training, and 83.8% (n = 228) had not received IPC training. Client-related IPC barriers included poor adherence to IPC practices (poor hand hygiene, frequenting salons when ill, and not using personal protective equipment (PPE)), and limited understanding of infection risks, despite some awareness of contamination. Hairdresser-related barriers included knowledge gaps, work and financial pressures that led to poor adherence to IPC procedures, and inconsistent adherence to cleaning, hand hygiene, and use of PPE. Environment-related barriers included inadequate infrastructure, service and utility constraints (water shortages, load shedding, and poor refuse disposal), and shortages of functional equipment and essential supplies such as gloves, disinfectants, and sanitisers.
Conclusion: Infection prevention and control in hairdressing salons in Rustenburg is constrained by client behaviour, hairdresser practices, and environmental conditions. Strengthening health literacy, formal training, regulatory oversight, and infrastructure are essential for improving IPC implementation.

Background: Although asbestos mining, manufacturing, and use has been banned in many countries for decades, its legacy remains. Asbestos-related diseases are still being diagnosed, globally. Surveillance of asbestoscontaining materials in both occupational and environmental settings is pivotal in monitoring the elimination of asbestos exposure in southern Africa. The National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) in South Africa provides gold-standard scanning electron microscopy services for asbestos fibre identification and analysis.
Objective: In this report, we describe the prevalence and types of asbestos in bulk materials, soil, and air filter samples analysed from 2018 to 2022.
Methods: Samples were analysed using scanning electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy. Statistical descriptive analysis was conducted using STATA 16.
Results: Of the 1 012 samples received in the five-year period, 444 (43.9%) contained asbestos. Approximately half (n = 425, 53.4%) of the bulk samples contained asbestos. A smaller proportion (n = 19, 9.3%) of the air filter samples and none of the soil samples contained asbestos. The largest proportion (n = 207, 20.5%) of samples was received from the public administration, defence, and social security governmental sector. Amongst the samples that contained asbestos, chrysotile was present in 87.6% (n = 389) and 33.8% (n = 150) contained a mixture of amphibole and serpentine minerals. Cement products, including roofing and pipes, were the materials that most commonly contained asbestos.
Conclusion: Despite the banning of mining and use of asbestos in South Africa, fibres, particularly chrysotile, are still found in commercial materials and air samples. The large number of asbestos-containing samples received by the NIOH for analysis over the last few years highlights potential continuing environmental and occupational exposure in South Africa.

Introduction: Occupational pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a significant challenge for health workers in South Africa, particularly in high-burden settings. This case report examines the clinical and occupational aspects of tuberculosis in a consultant surgeon, highlighting diagnostic and management complexities, workplace risk assessment, and legislative considerations relevant to health worker protection and occupational health practice.
Case description: In 2025, a 46-year-old consultant surgeon developed symptoms consistent with PTB, including night sweats, fever, and pleuritic chest pain. Despite repeatedly negative microbiological investigations, radiological findings and documented occupational exposure supported a clinical diagnosis of PTB. Treatment was complicated by drug-induced liver injury, necessitating regimen modification.
Results: The patient completed a six-month course of anti-tuberculosis therapy with full clinical recovery. A workplace hazard identification and risk assessment, supported by the literature on tuberculosis risk among health workers, identified a moderate underlying risk of tuberculosis acquisition. Insufficient mitigating controls were identified as an additional contributing factor to the disease outcome. At the time of writing, the case has been submitted to the Compensation Commissioner as an occupational disease; the outcome is pending.
Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for PTB in health workers, even in the absence of microbiological confirmation, and reinforces the need for strengthened occupational health systems, routine surveillance, and effective infection prevention and control strategies. According to national regulations, “If it is impossible to isolate Mycobacterium tuberculosis using microscopy or bacterial culture, other acceptable diagnostic techniques may be used”. However, it is unclear whether expert opinion and multidisciplinary consensus will be deemed sufficient for compensation purposes in this case, reflecting ongoing ambiguity in the interpretation of occupational disease regulations.