Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)Notices, Guidance Notes, Compilation GuidelinesGuidance Note for the Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Disorders in the South African Mining IndustryPart A: The Guidance Note5. Definitions and acronyms |
| 5.1 | For the purpose of this guidance note, unless the context otherwise indicates, the definitions and acronyms are as follows: |
| 5.1.1 | CIOM means Chief Inspector of Mines. |
| 5.1.2 | Disability means a recurring physical or mental impairment which substantially limits the capacity of the individual to meet either occupational demands or statutory or regulatory requirements. |
| 5.1.3 | DMPR means the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. |
| 5.1.4 | Health promotion means the process of enabling people to increase management over, and to improve their health to reach a state of physical, mental and social well-being. |
| 5.1.5 | ILO means International Labour Organization. |
| 5.1.6 | Management means the systematic process of addressing NCDs and mental health disorders among employees through the implementation of strategies and practices including: |
| 5.1.6.1 | Improving workplace policies. |
| 5.1.6.2 | Identifying and assessing NCDs and mental health disorders through screening, risk assessments and diagnosis. |
| 5.1.6.3 | Treatment, care and referral including psychological care, rehabilitation and palliative care. |
| 5.1.7 | Medical incapacity means the inability to retain a normal occupation due to temporary or permanent impairment on the grounds of ill-health or injury that prevents the performance of the customary duties of an employee. |
| 5.1.8 | Medical surveillance means a planned programme of periodical examinations which may include clinical examinations, biological monitoring or the medical testing of employees by an occupational health practitioner or an occupational medical practitioner contemplated in Section 13 of the MHSA. |
| 5.1.9 | Mental health means a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, to realize their abilities, to learn and work well, and to contribute to their communities. |
| 5.1.10 | Mental health disorders means a positive diagnosis of a mental health related illness in terms of diagnostic criteria made by a mental health care practitioner authorised to make such diagnosis. It is characterised by a clinically significant deviation in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. |
| 5.1.11 | MHSA means the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No 29 of 1996) as amended. |
| 5.1.12 | Modifiable risk factors means risk factors that can be reduced or managed by intervention thereby reducing the probability of disease. |
| 5.1.13 | Natural deaths means deaths that are due entirely as a result of natural causes and are not precipitated by any other event. |
| 5.1.14 | NCD(s) means non-communicable diseases. |
| 5.1.15 | NCDs+ means non-communicable diseases plus. |
| 5.1.16 | NDoH means the National Department of Health. |
| 5.1.17 | NSP means the national strategic plan. |
| 5.1.18 | PHC means primary healthcare. |
| 5.1.19 | Prevention means the action taken to prevent disease and secondly, should disease occur, efforts to eliminate or minimise its impact (such as disability or death). Levels of disease prevention (i.e. primordial, primary, secondary and tertiary) are defined below: |
| 5.1.19.1 | Primordial prevention means population-level measures to prevent the development of modifiable risk factors and includes policy, programmes, education and environmental changes to support healthy ways of living. |
| 5.1.19.2 | Primary prevention means actions taken to protect the health of individuals by modifying risk factors for diseases through personal and communal efforts. |
| 5.1.19.3 | Secondary prevention means health intervention for early detection (screening and diagnosis) and prompt intervention to manage diseases, reduce mortality and minimise disability and the burden of the disease (morbidity). |
| 5.1.19.4 | Tertiary prevention means softening the impact of chronic disease and disability by minimising suffering and maximising years of useful life. It includes rehabilitation and palliative care. |
| 5.1.20 | Rehabilitation means a structured programme developed to ensure the optimal recovery and deployment of employees who suffer impairment from a disability. |
| 5.1.21 | Risk factor means the characteristic that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease. |
| 5.1.22 | Treatment means the management and care of a person to manage or cure a disease, an injury or a disorder and includes both medical and surgical intervention. |
| 5.1.23 | UN means the United Nations |
| 5.1.24 | WHO means the World Health Organization |