The South African Society of Occupational Medicine (SASOM) is a professional society registered as a special interest group with the South African Medical Association and affiliated to the International Commission of Occupational Health (ICOH). The society aims to protect and promote the health of workers through quality health programs to benefit employees, employers, and occupational medical practitioners. The national office is located in Pretoria, South Africa, and the society has three chapters, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Witwatersrand, and 12 branches who arrange local education meetings.
The Wits School of Public Health hosted a seminar supported by SASOM on July 17. The seminar included two presentations by Illinois State University Associate Professor of the Safety Program Thomas Fuller. Fuller is a certified industrial hygienist (CIH) and certified safety professional (CSP), and he has over 35 years of experience in industrial hygiene, environmental management, occupational safety, infection control, and public health.
His first presentation at the seminar, “Global issues in occupational safety and health” focused on the need for qualified health and occupational safety practitioners to address the developing challenges of sustainability and survival of enterprises and nations. His second presentation, “Innovations in industrial hygiene approaches to infection control” explained improvements in hospital ventilation, new methods of surface and air monitoring, and upgrades in personal protective devices. The seminar closed with a vote of thanks from Associate Professor Gillian Nelson at the Wits School of Public Health and Head of the Occupational Health Division, followed by the opportunity to meet Fuller and network with other OSH professionals.
