According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993, it is the responsibility of the employer to create and maintain, as far as is reasonable, a work environment that is safe and without risk to the workforce.
Together, the employer and employee must work as a team to make the workplace a healthy and safe environment.
Global Labs is SANAS accredited Occupational and Industrial Health Unit offers a comprehensive testing, monitoring and consulting service for mining and industry throughout Africa. Our team has extensive experience in the design of new protocols for the bio-monitoring of new compounds, not specified in the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993, as well as the specified range of Table 3 substances.
Global Labs can partner with you to provide the following services:
Biological monitoring
The goal of biological monitoring is to monitor the worker for exposure to potentially harmful agents. During analysis we measure the actual levels of suspected chemicals, their metabolites or the products of its reaction with certain natural compounds in the body, such as proteins. Testing is done on blood and body fluids.
Risk assessment
Risk of developing an occupational-related disease may result from a combination of factors. Exposure to chemicals, age, sex, genetic background, nutrition and lifestyle all contribute to each individuals risk profile.
Toxicology tests
Global’s health professionals are able to test for exposure to 20 of the most common metals including lead, manganese, copper, chromium, mercury and vanadium as well as the most common solvents including benzene, hexane, MEK and toluene.
Cumulative report
Global offers a personalized cumulative report making it easy to monitor workers for exposure to chemicals.
Drugs of abuse testing
Drugs of abuse testing can be done using a rapid system (qualitative) or Tandem Mass Spectrometry for accurate quantitative analysis. Turnaround time will be linked to the specific method used ranging from one hour to seven days.
Alcohol abuse testing
Alcohol levels as well as the CDT (carbohydrate deficient transferrin) and gamma GT tests offered by Global assists with the diagnosis of chronic alcohol use and alcoholism.
HIV testing and Counseling
Global Laboratories provides a comprehensive HIV testing program including monitoring of HIV treatment, therapeutic drug monitoring and genotyping (resistance testing). Along with testing, we also offer pre and post-test counseling for:
- Self-referral patients
- Those whom have tested HIV positive without receiving counseling
- Adherence to treatment
TB testing
Global Labs GeneXpert (Cepheid®, Xpert®MTB/RIF) rapid test, recently endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), provides patients throughout South Africa and Africa with an accurate and early diagnosis of TB within twenty four hours, compared to other testing methods that can take up to three months.
Corporate wellness days
Employee wellness management is part of the four pillars of strength in the workplace and goes hand in hand with HIV and TB monitoring, biological monitoring and a comprehensive Health and Safety program. Employee wellness initiatives, including corporate wellness days, can help to improve workplace morale and performance, and help to reduce absenteeism.
To ensure employees get the most out of their corporate wellness days, Global can provide the following pathology tests and health screening services to meet your company’s needs:
Onsite corporate wellness day testing
Global Labs wellness day program includes the following onsite tests and health-screening services. These services are offered to companies free of charge on an annual basis. The results of these tests are available to employees on the day of testing:
- Finger prick fasting or random glucose
- Finger prick cholesterol
- Finger prick HIV test. All positive results will be followed up with an ELISA test
- Blood pressure
- BMI and waist circumference
Laboratory corporate wellness day testing
Global provides the following laboratory-based pathology tests and health-screening services. These tests are required to be processed in a laboratory, with results available to employees several days to a week following testing. Onsite phlebotomy for these tests and other services are available to companies on request:
- TSH
- PSA (men over 40)
- Pap smear examinations
- HIV ELISA
- Health education and training conducted by one of our specialist pathologists - available free of charge on request
Getting to the heart of the matter – (Cardiovascular Disease)
One must consider all risk factors for cardiovascular disease when evaluating an individual`s cholesterol status. The more risk factors a person has, in combination with undesirable lipid levels, the greater the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Pathology tests and wellness services provided by Global assess for some of these risk factors including high blood pressure, increased body mass index (BMI), diabetes and high total cholesterol. If an employee’s total cholesterol is high, Global will recommend additional lipid testing to assess for high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol (Lipogram).
Global can also provide a healthy eating plan to help employees reduce cholesterol and manage diabetes.
Training
Phlebotomy and Pap smear workshops are offered as a free service to nursing personnel within organizations registered as clients with Global Labs.