Evaluation of Safety Climate and its associated factors in Base Hospital Avissawella

Abstract

The safety climate is “the summary of molar perceptions that employees share about their work environments” and associated with several factors. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among a randomly selected sample of medical officers (n= 109) and nursing officers (n=193) to evaluate the safety climate and its associated factors in Base Hospital Avissawella Sri Lanka. Among the six safety climate dimensions personal protective and engineering control equipment availability (mean=3.94, SD=0.67) was perceived at the highest level. The lowest scored perceptual dimension was absence of job hindrances (mean=3.27, SD=0.83). Among the respondents 219 (83.5%) had at least one exposure incident. There is no significant relationship between job category and workplace exposure incidents (p= 0.388). Only 28.3% (n=62) had reported about their injuries. Only 60.7% (n=159) were strictly compliant to safe work practices and the compliance of nursing officers was better than of medical officers (p=0.000). The safety climate had a negative association with workplace exposure incidents (OR< 1.0) and a positive association with compliance to safe work practices. (OR>1.0). The respondents had negative perceptions about some of the safety climate dimensions. Workplace exposure incidents were common and the reporting behavior about injuries was poor among both categories of staff, but comparatively the nursing officers were better. Majority were “Strict compliant” to the safe work practices and compliance was better among nursing officers. Safety climate was negatively associated with exposure incidents and positively with the compliance. The hospital managers should pay more attention on safety of employees, provide adequate training opportunities on occupational safety and encourage employees’ reporting behavior.