EFFECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES ON EMPLOYEES’ PERFORMANCE AT THE ACCRA PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to find out the effects of occupational health and safety on employees’ performance.Structured questionnaires and interview guide were used to collect data from the selected population of 180 health workers through purposive sampling. The descriptive survey was used for the study. The statistical method used in the analysis was descriptive statistics. Percentages were calculated for the summary of the various responses.

The study found out that the kinds of health and safety measures practiced at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital among others are safety training as part of orientation for first employees, proper disposal of waste, regular monitoring of safety and health standards, using protective clothing, prompt reporting of accidents/injuries and re-training on safety and health practices. It is also important to mention that the challenges facing the management in health and safety policy practice were lack of adequate safety materials, lack of supervision, inadequate staff, exposed electric wires, lack of fire extinguisher, lack of computers to store information and lack of security personnel beds with strips to restrict aggressive patients.

Finally, there is a positive and a stronger relationship between employees’ health and safety and their level of performance.Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations were made; employees should be made to understand that safety and health practices is a shared responsibility for both management and staff and management should display warning notices on faulty machines.