Assessment of Occupational Safety and Health Standards in Medical Laboratories in Kenya
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Abstract
Medical laboratory workers face diverse hazards including chemical, biological, and physical risks, as well as musculoskeletal strain. In light of rising facility-acquired infections and workplace accidents in Kenya, there is an urgent need to evaluate the sustainability of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards. This study assessed the effectiveness of key OSH measures, including risk assessment (RA), hazardous substance handling (HZ), personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, emergency protocols (EP), and ergonomic practices (EG), in mitigating occupational hazards and promoting employee well-being in Kenyan medical laboratories across public, private, and non-profit sectors. A mixed-method approach was adopted, using qualitative and quantitative tools. A digital questionnaire incorporating Likert-scale items targeting five OSH domains was distributed to medical laboratory professionals in Kenya across public, private, faith-based, and research institutions. A total of 209 responses were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25. Results indicated that all the five OSH variables demonstrated statistically significant relationships with OSH effectiveness (p < 0.001). Pearson correlation coefficients indicated strong positive relationships: RA (0.624), HZ (0.683), PPE (0.691), EP (0.614), and EG (0.648). More than 75% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that these safety practices were consistently applied in their workplaces. PPE use and HZ handling recorded the highest levels of adherence. The findings confirm that all five OSH measures significantly enhance safety in medical laboratories, with minimal differences in their respective contributions. The results validate the alternative hypothesis that medical laboratories in Kenya have integrated effective OSH standards safeguarding staff welfare. However, there remains a critical need for robust, high-quality data to evaluate the adequacy and enforcement of these measures in mitigating workplace hazards.
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