ABSTRACT
For most managers, AIDS was not an issue that was high on their list of immediate priorities, and for most non-managers, it was not something that was at the forefront of their concerns regarding employment. Even among occupational health staff the subject of HIV and AIDS was something of a nonissue. HIV and AIDS education was something which was encompassed by the umbrella of health promotion. This is not encouraging for those who are keen to implement awareness training because in many organisations the umbrella remains closed. Health promotion is considered to be a ‘nice-to-have’, something that is more of a luxury, rather than a necessity. On many occasions during the interviews conducted, it emerged that although respondents regarded the provision of such information as both desirable and essential it was not a matter which was considered to be of great urgency. The extent to which this is prioritised is very much dependant upon the nature and significance of existing hazards to employees health in the workplace (eg. noise, chemicals, machinery). In particular, occupational health representatives from the ‘heavy’ industries were keen to explain that although they believed health promotion was an important aspect of occupational health, it was not on their priority list simply because the majority of their time was spent managing the day-to-day problems encountered in the work environment:
“I think that the health promotion thing is obviously important Health promotion is probably, I’d have thought about a quarter of our work I think it is important that we devote time to it, and hopefully we will devote more time to it, but we have got other priorities” (CMO for a heavy industry).
