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Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya

Received: 3 January 2019     Accepted: 29 January 2019     Published: 22 February 2019
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Abstract

The Kenya Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) obligates employers to ensure the provision of occupational safety and health information and training to all persons in their workplaces. In spite of this requirement, the risk of occupational exposures among the healthcare workers remains high. The researchers aimed to determine whether occupational safety and health (OSH) awareness among health workers and health management hindered implementation of OSHA in public dispensaries and health centres, using Machakos County. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in February 2018 and involved 107 health workers in public dispensaries and health centres and 42 members of the Health Management in Machakos County. It involved physical observations, collection of data from respondents, and analysis of the data. Linear regression results indicated strong negative relationship between OSH awareness and hindrance in the implementation of OSHA. The prediction factor was -0.6400, p<0.05. These showed that one unit increase in OSH awareness predicted a decrease of 0.64 units of hindrance in the implementation of OSH Act. The null hypothesis, Implementation of Occupational Safety and Health Act is not affected by OSH awareness among health workers and health management, failed in favour the alternative hypothesis. The researchers concluded that lack of OSH awareness among health workers and management hindered implementation of OSHA in the selected facilities. The health workers and management should be trained in OSH. Regular OSH refresher seminars should be conducted and OSH information disseminated and displayed throughout the health facilities. OSH policy should be communicated through trainings and displays in health facilities.

Published in Journal of Health and Environmental Research (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11
Page(s) 1-7
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Role, Safety and Health Awareness, Occupational Safety and Health Performance, Public Health Facilities, Machakos County

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Patrick Kinyanjui Njogu, Charles Mburu, Benson Karanja. (2019). Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya. Journal of Health and Environmental Research, 5(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11

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    ACS Style

    Patrick Kinyanjui Njogu; Charles Mburu; Benson Karanja. Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya. J. Health Environ. Res. 2019, 5(1), 1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11

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    AMA Style

    Patrick Kinyanjui Njogu, Charles Mburu, Benson Karanja. Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya. J Health Environ Res. 2019;5(1):1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11,
      author = {Patrick Kinyanjui Njogu and Charles Mburu and Benson Karanja},
      title = {Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya},
      journal = {Journal of Health and Environmental Research},
      volume = {5},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-7},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jher.20190501.11},
      abstract = {The Kenya Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) obligates employers to ensure the provision of occupational safety and health information and training to all persons in their workplaces. In spite of this requirement, the risk of occupational exposures among the healthcare workers remains high. The researchers aimed to determine whether occupational safety and health (OSH) awareness among health workers and health management hindered implementation of OSHA in public dispensaries and health centres, using Machakos County. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in February 2018 and involved 107 health workers in public dispensaries and health centres and 42 members of the Health Management in Machakos County. It involved physical observations, collection of data from respondents, and analysis of the data. Linear regression results indicated strong negative relationship between OSH awareness and hindrance in the implementation of OSHA. The prediction factor was -0.6400, pImplementation of Occupational Safety and Health Act is not affected by OSH awareness among health workers and health management, failed in favour the alternative hypothesis. The researchers concluded that lack of OSH awareness among health workers and management hindered implementation of OSHA in the selected facilities. The health workers and management should be trained in OSH. Regular OSH refresher seminars should be conducted and OSH information disseminated and displayed throughout the health facilities. OSH policy should be communicated through trainings and displays in health facilities.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    T1  - Role of Safety and Health Awareness in Occupational Safety and Health Performance in Public Health Facilities in Machakos County, Kenya
    AU  - Patrick Kinyanjui Njogu
    AU  - Charles Mburu
    AU  - Benson Karanja
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    T2  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
    JF  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
    JO  - Journal of Health and Environmental Research
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    EP  - 7
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2472-3592
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jher.20190501.11
    AB  - The Kenya Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) obligates employers to ensure the provision of occupational safety and health information and training to all persons in their workplaces. In spite of this requirement, the risk of occupational exposures among the healthcare workers remains high. The researchers aimed to determine whether occupational safety and health (OSH) awareness among health workers and health management hindered implementation of OSHA in public dispensaries and health centres, using Machakos County. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in February 2018 and involved 107 health workers in public dispensaries and health centres and 42 members of the Health Management in Machakos County. It involved physical observations, collection of data from respondents, and analysis of the data. Linear regression results indicated strong negative relationship between OSH awareness and hindrance in the implementation of OSHA. The prediction factor was -0.6400, pImplementation of Occupational Safety and Health Act is not affected by OSH awareness among health workers and health management, failed in favour the alternative hypothesis. The researchers concluded that lack of OSH awareness among health workers and management hindered implementation of OSHA in the selected facilities. The health workers and management should be trained in OSH. Regular OSH refresher seminars should be conducted and OSH information disseminated and displayed throughout the health facilities. OSH policy should be communicated through trainings and displays in health facilities.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Health, Nyeri County, Kenya

  • Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kenya

  • Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kenya

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