Occupational health and safety practices among healthcare workers in selected health facilities in Delta South Senatorial District

Abstract

The healthcare workers working in healthcare facilities are one group of workers that are highly exposed to occupational and safety hazards in their jobs. This study was designed that find out the occupational health and safety practices of health care workers in HCFs in Delta South Senatorial District. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 2500 from which a Sample of 96 (43 males and 53 females) were randomly selected from three major healthcare facilities (General Hospitals and health centres) from tress major towns in Delta South Senatorial District Area (one from each senatorial district). The purposive and simple random sampling techniques were applied for the sample selection. Structured questions on a 4-point scale of "always, sometimes, occasional and never) was used as an instrument for data collection. Content and face validity methods were adopted to validate the Instrument used. The reliability of the instrument was established at 0.77. Data collected were analyzed with percentage, mean and t-tests. Findings from the study revealed that the level of physical health practices among the health care workers was high, but the level no social health, mental health and safety practices was poor. It was revealed that putting on hand gloves for the clinical procedure, wearing neat clothes while handling patients and safe handling and disposal of sharp objects (physical health); wearing nose/face ask when on duty and quarrelling with patients who disobey clinical protocol /procedures, ensuring floor are dry before walking and working on it and avoid talking when carrying out routine clinical procedures were common health and safety practices often carried out among health care workers in health care facilities in Delta South Senatorial District. A conclusion was drawn and recommendations were made amongst others that workplace health and safety practices should be intensified as they contribute towards workers' commitment to safety policy (ies) and reduce the rate of workers' exposure to occupational hazards, injuries and accidents.