OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS AMONG UNIVERSITY STAFF IN UGANDA
Synopsis
Occupational health and safety is important in achieving Primary health care outcomes but it has not been given serious attention. Available data reveal that occupational health hazards are a great public health concern, resulting in increased occupational illnesses and injuries. This study aimed to assess the common occupational health hazards, the level of implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) measures and the associated factors among staff of universities in Uganda. The study employed a cross-sectional study that utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data. The quantitative data involved a survey among 394 randomly selected participants from academic and no academic staff of two universities in Uganda. Quantitative data was collected using a
semi-structured questionnaire, while a key informant interview guide was used to collect the qualitative data. The Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and STATA Version 16. Poisson regression was utilized to assess the factors associated with the implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) measures at universities in Uganda. Fifty (50%) of the respondents were exposed to occupational hazards ranging from ergonomic, physical, chemical and psycho-social hazards. More than 50% of the respondents reported a high implementation of occupational safety and health measures at the universities. Years of work at the institution, knowledge of OSH, perceptions regarding OSH, and commitment from management were significantly associated with the implementation of OSH measures. There was a need to prioritize OSH measures in Ugandan universities through staff training, policy enforcement, and good leadership and management commitment to promote safer working environment for staff.
