Document 0LaRzRn2YGYGEOBj2yxXBJ5dm

Project Title: Author(s): Safety in Mines Research Advisory Committee SIM 020801 Sustained Technology Transfer of Guidelines and Materials for X-ray Reading Skills to Health Practitioners in the Mining Industry (27 pages) Professor Neil White Agency: UCT Lung Institute 1 Report Date: | Category: April 2004 Occupational health II Related Projects: Simhealth 803, SIM 020802 Applied Research Occupational Diseases | | The primary outputs of SIM 02 08 01 were to achieve: ? Sustained completion of Health 803 with training and evaluation of health practitioners who perform radiological occupational lung disease surveillance in the mining industry; ? Refinement and expansion of the CD based, selfdirected learning product developed in Health 803; and ? Recommendations for sustained training and evaluation of practitioners who perform Radiological Occupational Lung Disease Surveillance (ROLDS) in the SA Mining Industry. All primary and related outputs have been achieved. This final report details the suite of software programs, provided to users as a 2 CD-Rom set entailing a comprehensive, self-directed, interactive and accessible outcome based distance-learning tool to promote professional standards of radiological occupational lung disease surveillance. There is a website to attract and inform potential users with easy access to important diagnostic documentation and standards. Administrative software completes the suite. The Product will be distributed by the UCT Occupation and Environmental Health Research Unit in terms of an agreement with the Mine Health and Safety Council. During the course of SIM 020801, a 2 day training symposium was held for 38 ROLDS practitioners in Carletonville in August 2003. A group of ROLDS practitioners performed radiology exercises. ROLDS practitioners show wide variation in their returns for these exercises and the significance of this lack of standardised practice is discussed. Radiological Occupational Lung Disease Surveillance, as conducted or required in terms of regulations in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1993, is a special skill or procedure. ROLDS requires specific competencies. The main recommendation developed in this project is that ROLDS should be become a recognised competency, through a process in which peers develop criteria that set out minimum requirements for competency and an acceptable method for outcomes based evaluations. It is proposed that this process should be the responsibility of the Mining Occupational Health Advisory Committee.