HIV AND AIDS IN SA CONSTRUCTION: ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF WORKERS

Both the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) concur that occupational health and safety in Africa needs strengthening. In support of this realization are the need to maintain and promote workers' health and working capacity, and the need to become conducive to safety and health by improving both the working environment and work. The fight against HIV and AIDS in the workplace is a continental priority. In the absence of any other definitive or similar study, this study aims to establish a valid baseline assessment of the levels of knowledge, types of attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of construction workers in South Africa regarding HIV infection and AIDS. It performs both a descriptive function with respect to how many workers have correct knowledge regarding AIDS and HIV and a predictive function in terms of how knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, behaviors and certain biographical traits relate to one another. This paper examines the attitudes and perceptions of HIV and AIDS among construction workers as determined during the first phase of an exploratory study commenced in August 2002.