Health and safety in the Lesotho Highlands Dam and Tunnel Construction Program

To review health and safety practices and to determine the occupational health status of dam workers in the Lesotho Highlands, a health and safety audit and a health study of 258 workers was undertaken. The workers were administered respiratory health questionnaires and underwent chest x-rays and lung function and audiometric testing. The audit revealed a low level of awareness of health and safety issues at all levels of management and a lack of occupational medicine and industrial hygiene systems. Noise-induced hearing loss occurred among 92% of the study subjects. Among the 158 dam construction workers, 5.4% had pneumoconiosis. With poorly developed laws and regulatory bodies, unsophisticated trade unions, and little client supervision, health and safety had a low priority in this construction project. Recommendations are made that are pertinent to health and safety management where international companies are operating in developing countries.