scholarly journals Employee Health and Safety Practices: An Exploratory and Comparative Study of the Shipping and Manufacturing Industries in Ghana

Author(s):  
Samuel Howard Quartey ◽  
Bill Buenar Puplampu
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 4416
Author(s):  
Birgül Çiçek ◽  
Sibel Erkal

This study was planned and conducted to determine the occupational health and safety practices and the level of perception of safety culture from the perspective of housekeeping personnel in hospitals. The population of the study consists of housekeeping personnel at 14 hospitals who accepted to participate in the study from all hospitals affiliated to the TR Ministry of Health and universities with more than 50 inpatient bed availability in Ankara city center apart from the hospitals specialized in certain fields, military hospitals and private hospitals within the boundaries of Ankara province. The proportional sampling method was used in the determination of the number of personnel to participate in the study from each hospital that agreed to participate in it and the study was carried out with 400 housekeeping personnel. A questionnaire form was prepared with 'Safety Culture Scale' and 'Employee Health and Safety Culture Scale' to collect the data in the study. The housekeeping personnel who have received education in the field of “health and safety at work” comes first among the personnel almost all of which have received in-service training. It was identified that 10,3 % of the personnel participating in the study had experienced occupational accidents. It was stated that 53,8 % of the housekeeping personnel who had experienced occupational accidents had these accidents while ‘collecting waste’, when the types of the accidents experienced by those who had had occupational accidents were examined, it was concluded that while the personnel ‘exposed to sharp object injuries’ took the first place. While a statistically significant difference (p<0,05) was found between the perception levels related to the ‘Safety Culture’ and ‘Employee Health and Safety Culture’ of the housekeeping personnel and the opinions of the personnel on the state of attaching importance to the applications related to health and safety at work by the hospital administration, the condition of receiving education on the use and maintenance of the equipment, accident protection and the use of cleaning products, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0,05) between gender, age, total service period, education level, marital status, service period at the hospital of employment, the condition of experiencing occupational accidents at the hospital of employment, the reason of the accident experienced, general opinions related to the reasons of occupational accidents, cleaning methods, the condition of receiving education on infection control, sanitation and personal hygiene. ÖzetBu araştırma hastanelerde çalışan kurum ev idaresi personeli perspektifinden iş sağlığı ve güvenliği uygulamalarının ve güvenlik kültürüne ilişkin algı düzeylerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla planlanmış ve yürütülmüştür. Araştırmanın evrenini Ankara il sınırları içinde bulunan 50 yatak kapasitesinin üzerindeki tüm T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı’na ve üniversitelere bağlı çalışmayı kabul eden hastaneler oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemini, çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden hastanelerden 400 kurum ev idaresi personeli oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplamak amacıyla “Güvenlik Kültürü Ölçeği” ile “Çalışan Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Ölçeği” kullanılarak anket formu oluşturulmuştur. Kurum ev idaresi personelinin% 10,3’ ünün iş kazası geçirdiği belirlenmiştir. İş kazası geçiren personelin yarıdan biraz fazlası ‘atıkları toplarken’ kaza geçirmiş olup, geçirilen kaza tipleri arasında; ‘kesici delici alet yaralanmalarını’ belirtenler ilk sırada yer almaktadır. Kurum ev idaresi personelinin ‘Güvenlik Kültürü’ ile ‘Çalışan Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Kültürü’ne ilişkin algı düzeyleri ile personelin hastane yönetiminin iş sağlığı ve güvenliği ile ilgili uygulamalarına önem verme durumuna ilişkin görüşleri, araç gereçlerin kullanımı ve bakımı, kazalardan korunma ve temizlik maddelerinin kullanımı konularına ilişkin eğitim alma durumu arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık (p<0,05) bulunurken; cinsiyet, yaş, toplam hizmet yılı, öğrenim düzeyi, medeni durum, çalıştığı hastanedeki hizmet yılı, çalıştığı hastanede iş kazası geçirme durumu, geçirilen iş kazasının nedeni, genel olarak iş kazalarının nedenine ilişkin görüşleri, temizlik yöntemleri, enfeksiyon kontrolü ve sanitasyon ile kişisel hijyenle ilgili eğitim alma durumları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık (p>0,05) bulunmamıştır.


Author(s):  
Bruce P. Bernard

This chapter focuses on conducting worksite investigations, including walkthrough surveys, and provides occupational health and safety personnel, employees, and employers the opportunity to identify and assess current workplace conditions and employee health concerns and make recommendations on how to reduce or eliminate any identified workplace hazards. The methods described cover ways to implement corrective actions necessary for preventing future adverse incidents and to identify shortcomings in safety and health management programs. Various specific examples are provided. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Hazard Evaluation Program, which has experience with all types of workplace hazards, is described. Preparing for and conducting workplace investigations is described in detail.


Author(s):  
Sadaf Sanaat ◽  
D Linn Holness ◽  
Victoria H Arrandale

Abstract Objectives In recent years, nail salons have become more abundant than ever. The majority are small businesses, often employing immigrant women. Nail technicians have many exposures at work including chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic hazards but few data exist on their symptoms or occupational health and safety practices, particularly in the Canadian context. The aim of this study was to learn about nail technicians, their work, and their health and safety practices. Methods Nail technicians were recruited from nail salons in Toronto, Ontario. Participants completed an anonymous survey with questions about demographics, work tasks, workplace health and safety practices, and symptoms (skin, respiratory, and musculoskeletal). Results A total of 155 nail technicians (95% female) participated in the survey. The majority of nail technicians performed manicures (99%) and pedicures (96%) and applied shellac polishes (86%). Only a third (34%) applied acrylic artificial nails. The reported use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was very high; 88% reported using a mask at work and 96% reporting using gloves. The most common symptoms reported by technicians were neck (44%) and back pain (38%). Skin and respiratory symptoms were less common with 6% of technicians reporting cough, 8% wheeze, and 5% a current rash. Technicians working over 30 h per week reported more neck pain (52 vs. 32%, P = 0.02). Technicians who reported using shellac polishes were more likely to report a runny nose (25 vs. 0%, P = 0.01). Conclusions Nail technicians in Toronto, Canada are experiencing work-related symptoms. Musculoskeletal symptoms were the most common symptoms reported. Much of the focus on nail salons and health has been on chemical exposures, but ergonomic hazards should not be overlooked. Efforts to increase knowledge and improve occupational health in nail salons should include information on multiple possible workplace hazards and how to reduce impacts of exposure.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Shi ◽  
Chongwu Xia ◽  
Philipp Meyer-Doyle

Although prior research on shareholder activism has highlighted how such activism can economically benefit the shareholders of targeted firms, recent studies also suggest that shareholder activism can economically disadvantage nonshareholder stakeholders, notably employees. Our study extends this research by exploring whether shareholder activism by institutional investors (i.e., institutional investor activism) can adversely affect employee health and safety through increased workplace injury and illness. Furthermore, deviating from the assumption that financially motivated institutional investor activists are homogeneous in their goals and preferences, we investigate whether the influence of institutional investor activism on employee health and safety hinges on the political ideology of the shareholder activist and of the board of the targeted firm. Using establishment-level data, we find that institutional investor activism adversely influences workplace injury and illness at targeted firms and that this influence is stronger for nonliberal shareholder activists and for firms with a nonliberal board. Our study contributes to shareholder activism research by highlighting how the political ideology of shareholder activists and boards affects the impact of shareholder activism on stakeholders and how shareholder activism can adversely affect the health and safety of employees. Furthermore, our paper also contributes to research on workplace safety and the management of employee relations and human capital resources by highlighting the detrimental effect of a firm’s ownership by investor activists on its employees and how the board’s political ideology may enable a firm to reduce this risk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1589-1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily W. Lankau ◽  
Patricia V. Turner ◽  
Robert J. Mullan ◽  
G. Gale Galland

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