Assessment of occupational safety and health measures and associated factors among Kyambogo and Uganda Christian University staff

Abstract

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. This was a cross-sectional study that utilised both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data. The study involved 394 participants. The factors that were significantly associated with the implementation of OSH measures were; working in the institution for 5-10 years (APR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.71-0.99), P-value = 0.036; working in the institution for >10 years (APR=0.72, 95% CI: 0.58-0.92), P-value = 0.007); knowledge on OSH (APR=0.70, 95%CI:0.59-0.83), P-value < 0.001; feeling very good about the OSH in place (APR=3.49, 95% CI:1.56-7.77), P-value=0.002 and commitment by the management (APR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.09-2.87), P-value=0.021. Similarly, factors that were found to influence the implementation of OSH measures from the qualitative findings included Working in the university for long hours, knowledge levels, presence of policies regarding OSH, and good leadership. The study revealed that half of the respondents were exposed to occupational hazards ranging from ergonomic, physical, chemical and psychosocial hazards. In addition, more than half 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 is a need to prioritize OSH measures in Ugandan universities through staff training, policy enforcement, and good leadership and management commitment to promote a safer working environment for staff.