Awareness Of Occupational Health and Safety Among the Workers of Ordnance Factory, Wah Cantt

Abstract

Background: Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a defensive barrier for workers against occupational accidents and injuries at all occupations. Due to rapid industrialization and globalization diverse types of hazards are on their onset in all industries. Therefore, there is an urge to assess the awareness of occupational health and safety among ordnance factory workers. By examining the status of awareness, we can evaluate where we are standing and what initiatives need to be taken at policy and performance level to provide workforce a hazard free environment. Objectives: 1. To assess the awareness of occupational health and safety among Ordnance factory workers. 2. To find out the association of awareness of occupational health and safety with the demographic attributes of Ordnance factory workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on Ordnance factory workers. A sample of 150 workers were selected by convenient sampling. A well-structured questionnaire was designed by researcher after extensive literature search to screen the awareness of Ordnance factory workers. Data was collected through self administration and analysed by SPSS 17. Descriptive analysis obtained by frequency and percentage. Inferential analysis generated by performing chi-square test to determine association between dependent and independent variables. Reliability was checked by pilot testing (Cronbach’s alpha=0.90). Results: Adequate awareness of (82,55%) was reported which was remarkable. Majority (99%) of the workers were male (149/150) with matric education (87,58%) belonging to age group (28-37) having salary (25,000>) and were married (89,59%). There was no significant association found between demographic features of workers with awareness of OHS except age and job experience. P<0.05. Conclusion: The study concluded that awareness of OHS among Ordnance factory workers were high. Age and job experience were the only two demographic characteristics which showed significant association with awareness. By providing more training and intensifying the current established OHS strategies we can amplify the awareness of OHS. Keywords: awareness, occupational health safety, Ordnance factory.