National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH)
The National Health Laboratory Service’s (NHLS) Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), is recognised internationally for excellence in research, services and training to support occupational health services not only in South Africa but also in Southern Africa through its extensive outreach activities and collaborations.
The NIOH has made great strides in terms of its overall objectives, particularly around quality, and continues to provide training, service and research assistance to a wide range of local, provincial and central government stakeholders.
The NIOH has an established research record of more than 50 years. Historically, our research focused on mineral particles and the health of miners; the focus has since expanded to include diverse topics and research programmes. The vision of the NIOH is to be a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence for occupational health.
The NIOH provides cost effective occupational health services to national and provincial government departments as well as support for occupational health and safety inside the NHLS. This support work has included advice to regulatory authorities, employers, unions and individual employees. The NIOH investigates occupational diseases.
The training offered by the NIOH strives to promote development of the work environment, work communities and organizations, to enhance management of changes, and to further occupational health and expertise in these issues at workplaces. Also included in the training offered by the Institute are continuing education and supplementary.