Ekurhuleni gets tough on health and safety
‘If you don’t ask for it, you will never get it,’ is the lesson that Numsa Ekurhuleni members are learning. Since October, Numsa members in certain Ekurhuleni workplaces with poor health and safety practices have been marching for their safety.At Amakhulu Bags in Wadeville, the almost 100-strong workforce handed a memorandum to the management demanding that it check on the strong chemicals used in the manufacture of the bags which had already detrimentally affected some of the workers.Workers also warned that the company’s practice of locking the workers inside during night shift posed grave dangers to the workers as some of the chemicals were flammable. Safety clothing was also not provided by the company.The company has now agreed to meet with the Union.At Smoden Engineering workers demanded that the company deal with the fact that the 80 workers work under just a roof. “If it’s raining or cold in winter, workers are exposed to the elements,” says local organiser Eric Nyekemba.The memorandum also requested protective clothing and the election of a health and safety committee. While Nyekemba reports that since the march, boots, overalls, spectacles, helmets and gloves have been dished out, no follow up meeting date has yet been set.In nearby Nigel local, workers from Transvaal Galvanizers were joined by Numsa members from surrounding factories, IMAB Engineering, Protech Galvanizers, Pontsa, Steel Union Manufacturing, Industrial Locomotive Services when they handed over a memorandum to their management.Local organiser, Shadrack Simelane, requested management to address the dusty yard failing which management would see more follow up marches taking place.Simelane urged workers and the employer to cooperate to ensure that “everything that was dangerous” was made safe. A follow up meeting has been set for November 17.At neighbouring Blue Sphere Foundry, the company has now provided the Union with information about the chemicals and the risks in their company and has urged Numsa to tell them where they are not complying with legislation. This follows a march held late in October.
MDR-TB: Everything you need to know
What is MDR-TB?MDR is a kind of TB that is very difficult to treat. You can get MDR-TB if you don’t complete your treatment for ordinary TB or you can catch it from someone who already has it. When someone with MDR coughs, sneezes or spits they can pass the disease on to you. You will have to be treated in hospital for at least 4 to 6 months until there are no more TB germs in your sputum when you cough. For the first 4 months, the hospital will give you an injection every day as well as pills every day. When you are discharged from hospital you must still take your pills until the nurse tells you you can stop, even if you are feeling better. If you don’t you can get XDR-TB and this is even more difficult to treat because it is resistant to the ordinary TB drugs. .Remember the symptoms for all kinds of TB are: cough for more than 2 weeks; chest pain; night sweats; loss of weight; loss of appetite.
(Thanks to Gauteng Department of Health for information)
Yini i-MDR-TB?I-MDR uhlobo lwe-TB okunzima kabi ukulwelapha. Ungayithola uma ungayiqedi imithi yakho yokwelashelwa i-TB ejwayelekile noma ungayithola komunye osevele enayo. Uma umuntu one-MDR ekhwehlela angasedlulisela kuwe lesi sifo. Qiniseka ukuthi bayawuvala umlomo uma bekhwehlela. Kufanele welashelwe esibhedlela okungenani izinyanga ezi-4 kuya kweziyisi-6 kuze kungabi namagciwane e-TB esikhwehleleni sakho uma ukhwehlela. Ezinyangeni zokuqala ezi-4, isibhedlela siyokujova zonke izinsuku futhi sikunike amaphilisi zonke izinsuku. Uma usukhishiwe esibhedlela, kufanele uqhubeke nokuphuza amaphilisi unesi aze akutshele ukuthi sewungawayeka, noma ngabe sewuzizwa ungcono. Uma ungakwenzi lokho ungathola i-XDR-TB kanti lena-ke yona kunzima kakhulu ukuyelapha ngoba iyazabalaza emithini ye-TB eyejwayelekile.Khumbula ukuthi izimpawu zazo zonke izinhlobo ze-TB yilezi: ukukhwehlela kuze kweqe emasontweni ama-2; isifuba esibuhlungu, ukujuluka ebusuku, ukuncipha emzimbeni; ukungakuthandi ukudla.
(Sibonga uMnyango Wezempilo waseGauteng ngolwazi)
Wat is Weerstandige TB (MDR-TB)?MDR is “˜n soort TB wat baie moeilik is om te behandel. Jy kan MDR-TB kry as jy nie jou behandeling vir gewone TB voltooi nie, of jy kan dit by iemand kry wat dit alreeds het. Wanneer iemand met MDR hoes, kan hulle die siekte na jou to oordra. Maak seker dat hulle hulle mond bedek wanneer hulle hoes. Jy sal vir ten minste 4 tot 6 maande in die hospital behandel moet word totdat daar niks meer TB-kieme in jou speeksel is wanneer jy hoes nie. Vir die eerste 4 maande sal die hospitaal jou elke dag “˜n inspuiting asook pille gee. Wanneer jy uit die hospitaal ontslaan word, moet jy steeds jou pille drink totdat die verpleegster síª jy mag ophou, selfs al voel jy beter. As jy dit nie doen nie, kan jy XDR-TB kry wat nog moeiliker is om te behandel omdat dit nie op gewone TB-medikasie rageer nie.Onthou – die simptome vir alle soorte TB is: gehoes vir meer as 2 weke; borspyn; nagsweet; gewigsverlies; verlies aan eetlus.
(Dank vir inligting aan die Gautengse Departement van Gesondheid)
Na MDR-TB ke eng?MDR ke mofuta wa TB oo ho leng boima haholo ho o alafa. O ka kenwa ke MDR-TB ha o sa qetelle kalafo ya hao ya TB e tlwaelehileng kapa o ka e fumana ho tswa mothong e mong ya seng a na le yona. Ha motho e mong ya nang le MDR a kgohlola yena a ka fetisetsa bolwetse bona ho wena. Etsa bonnete ba hore ba kwala melomo ya bona ha ba kgohlola. O tla tshwanelwa ho alashwa sepetlele bonyane dikgwedi tse 4 ho isa ho tse 6 ho fihlela ho se na dikokwanahloko tsa TB sekgohloleng sa hao ha o kgohlola. Dikgweding tsa ho qala tse 4, sepetlele se tla ho neha enjekshene le dipidisi letsatsi le leng le le leng. Ha o se o ntshitswe sepetlele o lokela ho tswela pele ho nwa dipidisi tsa hao ho fihlela mooki a ho bolella hore o emise, leha o ikutlwa o le betere. Ha o sa etse jwalo o tla kenwa ke MDR-TB mme yona he e boima ho e alafa hobane e lwantshana le meriana e tlwaelehileng ya TB.Hopola hore matshwao a mefuta yohle ya TB ke ana: ho kgohlola nako e fetang dibeke tse 2; mahlaba sefubeng; ho fufulelwa bosiu; ho ota; ho fellwa ke takatso ya dijo.
(Re leboha Lefapha la Bophelo bo Botle la Gauteng ka tlhahisolseding ena)