Leger J P
Sociology of Work Programme, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
S Afr Med J. 1992 Feb 15;81(4):197-201.
A major difficulty in assessing incidence and prevalence of occupational diseases among the workforce employed on South African mines is the lack of epidemiological data. Published and unpublished data were collated and analysed for the period 1915-1988 in order to provide insights into occupational disease trends. Using proxies for incidence rates, it was demonstrated that the rates of silicosis and tuberculosis were likely to be high. In the case of silicosis among black miners, disease was contracted in a relatively short period on average. The stabilisation of the black workforce on the mines, which started in 1975 and continues, is an important factor likely to lead to an increase in occupational disease rates. Recommendations for improved data reporting and research are made, in particular the need to identify occupational groups at high risk and the calculation of prevalences.
评估南非矿山就业劳动力中职业病的发病率和患病率的一个主要困难是缺乏流行病学数据。为了深入了解职业病趋势，对1915年至1988年期间已发表和未发表的数据进行了整理和分析。使用发病率的替代指标表明，矽肺病和肺结核病的发病率可能很高。就黑人矿工的矽肺病而言，平均而言，疾病在相对较短的时间内就会发生。始于1975年并仍在持续的矿山黑人劳动力稳定化是一个可能导致职业病发病率上升的重要因素。文中提出了改进数据报告和研究的建议，特别是识别高风险职业群体以及计算患病率的必要性。
