CASE STUDY
The implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act at an Academic Hospital in Johannesburg According to the International Labour Organisation (2003), occupational health and safety is defined as a discipline with a broad scope involving many specialised fields such as the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of adverse effects on health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to their physical and mental needs; and the adaptation of work.
It is estimated that every year two million needlestick injuries occur in health-care workers worldwide (World Health Organisation 2002). This is supported by Wicker et al. (2008), who indicated that 350 million people suffer from chronic HBV infection worldwide; 125 million people are infected with HCV and 33 million with HIV, making viral hepatitis and HIV two of the world's greatest infectious disease in the workplace.
Studies have been conducted in different parts of the world on occupational health and safety in the workplace, especially on the subject of occupational injuries and diseases. In Europe, 60% of musculoskeletal problems were reported as the main work-related health problems, followed by 14% of stress, depression, and anxiety (Van den Broek et al. 2011). In Brazil, some of the common occupational injuries and diseases are: pneumoconiosis, occupational cancer, occupational dermatitis, and work-related neurophysiological disorders such as stress, depression and burnout (Marziale & Hong 2005). In the Philippines, De Castro et al. (2009) conducted a study and found that amongst the health professionals, nurses were in the majority of those suffering occupational-related illnesses, with more than 78% experiencing back pain. In addition, Tinubu et al. (2010) reported that work-related musculoskeletal disorders are common amongst health-care workers, with the nursing population that constitutes about 33% of the hospital workforce at particularly high risk, and accounting for 60% of nurses reporting work-related musculoskeletal disorders-related illnesses at the Ibadan hospital, in South-West Nigeria.
A study regarding the needlestick injuries was conducted in Johannesburg and Soweto hospitals. The study revealed that (n= 102) 83% of the medical interns sustained percutaneous injuries. Of these 43% were from HIV-positive patients (Karstaedt & Pantanowitz 2001). The above empirical studies revealed that there is still a gap on the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) in the public sector An academic hospital in the Johannesburg is not unique as it is still encountering challenges on the implementation of the OHSA (Act 85 of 1993). This is evidenced by the report obtained from the hospital Injury on Duty register. The incidence rates in 2010 were 36%, in 2011, 49% and in 2012, 67% respectively. The report shows that there is an escalation of injuries every year, which is cause for concern. Furthermore, this report is supported by Nophale (2009), who conducted a study on reported needlestick injuries amongst health-care workers in regional hospitals in Free State Province, South Africa. The results of the study revealed that 90% of professional nurses sustained needlestick injuries, followed by 55.6% of doctors.
Based on the above studies it is evident that there is insufficient implementation of the OHSA (Act 85 of 1993) in the public sector. The purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 is to provide for the protection of persons at work against hazards to health and safety arising out of activities related to the doing of the work.
As a new intern in the HR department and just graduated and completed the Employee Management module:
Section 8 of the Act provides general duties of the employer to their employees.
Question:
You are requested by your HR manager to help the Johannesburg academic hospital to implement the general duties stated in the section. Discuss these duties in detail.