Table 1 Variables from the TEBA database used in this study
Variable on database | Comment or further description | Derived Variables |
|---|---|---|
Unique key | TEBA randomly assigned no. (Not personal ID number). | |
Date of birth | Age | |
Gender | ||
Racial ascription | Four category classification formalised under apartheid, and in continuing usage for some official purposes – Asian, black, coloured, white. | |
Origin | Country and district/region/province of office at which recruited or registered for a given contract. | Origin at first contract on the database |
Contract start date | Number of contracts. Start date of first contract. Start dates of returning contract. | |
Contract end date | End date of first contract. End dates of returning contract. | |
Contract duration (days) | Difference between contract end date and contract start date. | Cumulative service across all contracts. |
Contract duration (months) | Days or weeks rounded up or down to the nearest whole number of months, e.g. 35 days = 1 month. | Cumulative service across all contracts. |
Commodity sector | Gold, platinum group metals, coal, “other” (antimony, asbestos, chrome, copper, diamond, granite, iron, lead, lime, tin, vanadium)a . | Commodity sector of longest cumulative service for an individual. |
Occupational risk category | Underground, “surface risk”, “surface non-risk”. Surface definition based on exposure to hazardous airborne agents. | Occupational risk category of longest cumulative service for an individual |
Employment status | Mine employee versus “contractor”. See text for further definition. | Exclusively mine employee versus contractor “ever” on TEBA database |