Introduction: In addition to grooming, horse grooms’ tasks include live breeding, foaling, night watch duty, raising and training horses, mucking stalls, landscaping, and horse maintenance. Horse stables are reported to have high organic dust levels, which pose a risk to horse grooms. Studies have reported an association between working with horses and an increased risk of respiratory symptoms and/or organic dust toxic syndrome. Some studies demonstrated that horses were exposed to high levels of endotoxin as well as (1,3)-β-D-glucan in horse stables.
Objective: To describe occupational biological exposures and associated respiratory diseases among horse grooms, shedding light on their working and living conditions.
Methods: A scoping review was undertaken using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Data were extracted using key questions and eligibility criteria as a starting point. The keywords and phrases, occupational health, infectious diseases, workplace exposure, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (1,3)-β-D-glucan, endotoxin, and horse grooms were used to search PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect.
Results: Forty-six papers were selected for final review from the 94 identified for potential inclusion. These papers highlighted possible biological exposure in horse grooms’ day-today tasks. Hostel living conditions, similar to those in the mining industry, were identified as a source of biological exposures. Due to overcrowding, the spread of tuberculosis was highlighted as a major concern.
Conclusion: More research on horse grooms is necessary, considering the paucity of occupational health information in this sector, especially in South Africa. Future studies should focus on environmental conditions, hostel living conditions, health outcomes among horse grooms, and prevention strategies.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a growing global public health problem. In South Africa, studies have reported on the prevalence and physical risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including chronic musculoskeletal pain. Associations of psychosocial stressors with chronic musculoskeletal pain in working populations are being increasingly reported, globally, highlighting the need to investigate this association in South African workers.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, and to identify associated demographic and psychosocial factors, in workers employed in the community services department of the uMhlathuze municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the uMhlathuze municipality in 2017. Data were collected using an administered questionnaire following signed informed consent. Means and standard deviations and frequencies and proportions were used to describe continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associations between demographic and psychosocial factors and chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Results: Three hundred and eighty-eight workers employed in 11 sections of the community services department participated in the study. The prevalence of self-reported chronic musculoskeletal pain was 63.1% (n = 245). Being older (45 to 65 years) (AOR 1.89; 95% CI 1.04-3.45), female (AOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.08-2.76), and having a highly demanding job (AOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.11-2.86) were significantly associated with increased reports of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Job satisfaction (AOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.76) was protective against reported pain.
Conclusion: A high prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, in the presence of associated psychosocial factors in this working population, requires appropriate interventions to prevent further disease.

Background: Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid. The toxicity resulting from As exposure is linked to the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates, and various metabolic processes associated with the homeostasis of essential metals. Essential metals are coactivators of several important enzymes, including antioxidant enzymes and proteins necessary for health maintenance. Copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and selenium (Se) are all essential metals, and any diet deficiency or excessive levels affect the integrity of various physiological and metabolic processes. Although As has no beneficial effects on the human body, it can affect multiple biological processes, including intracellular and intercellular signaling, cell adhesion, protein folding and maturation, apoptosis, ionic transportation, enzyme regulation, and release of neurotransmitters, by inhibiting or disturbing the homeostasis of essential metals.
Objective: To describe the effects of As exposure on Cu, Mn, and Zn concentrations in copper smelter workers and nearby residents.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we measured metals in the urine of 1 671 copper smelter workers and 187 community residents (unexposed reference group) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Correlations between the metalloid, As, and the three essential metals were assessed using Spearman’s correlation.
Results: Arsenic concentrations in copper smelter workers were more than three times higher than in the residents (99.3 µg/g and 28.9 µg/g, respectively). Significant differences in Cu, Mn, and Zn concentrations were observed in the two groups. There were significant correlations between urine As, and Zn and Cu in both smelter workers and residents. The strongest correlations were between As and Zn (R2 = 0.086, p = 0.0004), and As and Cu (R2 = 0.051, p = 0.033) for the copper smelter workers, and between As and Zn (R2 = 0.085, p = 0.0001), and As and Cu (R2 = 0.033, p = 0.012) for the residents.
Conclusion: Long-term exposure to As can disrupt the normal homeostasis of essential metals, which may adversely affect biological functions within tissues.

Background: Infant wearing is a daily practice in many communities as part of the caring of children. The adverse musculoskeletal effects of this on carers have been documented, but the impact on pulmonary function has not.
Objectives: To describe the acute effects of front face infant wearing on the pulmonary function of carers.
Methods: One hundred women, aged 18-40 years, voluntarily participated in a cross-over study. During the first round of spirometry testing, the first group (n = 50) stood without carrying their infant, while the second group (n = 50) carried infants front facing. Participants’ body mass, stature, and lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ), FEV1 /FVC, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)) were measured. During the second round of spirometry testing, the two groups crossed over. Differences in lung function parameters were assessed using paired t-tests.
Results: The mean FVC of participants was lower when they carried infants than when they did not (2.54 ± 0.63 and 2.49 ± 0.59, respectively, p = 0.052). There were significant differences in FEV1 (1.98 ± 0.42 vs 1.93 ± 0.42, p = 0.005), FEV1 / FVC (80.47 ± 15.64 vs 78.19 ± 14.48, p = 0.040), and PEFR (2.93 ± 1.25 vs 2.76 ± 0.99, p = 0.013) with and without the load of the infant.
Conclusion: Front face infant wearing may temporarily improve lung function due to posture, activation of core muscles, and increased breathing effort.

The recent Labour Court of Appeal ruling in the Barloworld case highlights critical issues surrounding cannabis legalisation, workplace safety, and employee rights in South Africa. This decision underscores the need for a refined approach to drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, balancing safety with constitutional rights to privacy, dignity, and equality. The judgment criticises indiscriminate blanket testing, stressing the necessity for employers to tailor testing to specific job roles and associated risks. This paper explores the legal and policy implications of zero-tolerance strategies in workplaces, advocating for scientifically established thresholds for substance testing. It discusses the obligations of both employers and employees under the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 85 of 1993 and employment contracts, urging a more sophisticated approach to managing off-duty substance use and on-duty impairment. The paper calls for workplace policies that respect employee rights while ensuring safety, reflecting the complex legal landscape, following South Africa’s Cannabis for Private Purposes Act No. 7 of 2024.