Awareness and Willingness to Utilize Health and Safety Measures among Woodworkers of a Timber Processing Firm in Ghana

Abstract

Reports from studies on occupational health and safety in the wood industry indicate that woodworkers are exposed to various types and degrees of hazards ranging from bacterial, viral and chemical infections to physical injury. In this study therefore, the awareness of occupational health and safety and willingness to use personal safety equipment by woodworkers were considered. A cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. Data for the broader study were collected from 300 respondents at a sawmill in Ghana using questionnaire which consisted of Likert-type items. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Scheffe’s post hoc test at 0.05 level of significance where necessary. The result indicated that the respondents rated very high their awareness of occupational health and safety issues related to their work. The mean rating of the respondents’ awareness of occupational health and safety issues ranged from 3.72 to 5.51 which were higher than the theoretical mean of 3.50. Additionally, educational background of the respondents appeared not to have significant influence on their ratings of awareness of occupational health and safety issues (20 out of the total number of 27 items did not show any significant difference). Furthermore, the respondents highly rated their willingness to use personal safety equipment at work and their rating was not significantly influenced by the departments they belonged to. Lastly, the result suggests that it is more likely for woodworkers to be willing to use personal protective equipment when they are aware of the safety and health implications on their occupation.