Employees' awareness and compliance with occupational safety and health regulations in Rwanda: Evidence from UTEXRWA manufacturing company

Abstract

Background of the study: Oganizations have both legal and ethical commitment to supply healthy and safe working environments as well as ensuring the total well being of their workers. The provision of any health and safety program differs according to the location and size of the organization, the nature of work being performed and type of employees. Organizations depend on workers as working partners and colleague members of the organization’s community. By decreasing the rates and severity of occupational accidents, diseases and stress related-illness, and by increasing the quality of work for their employees, organizations become significantly more effecient. Research objective: This study aims to explore the awareness strategies and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practices among employees of the UTEXRWA manufacturing company based in Kigali, Rwanda. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive research design where data was colleted from across respondents among the company employees and managers who were the primary sources of quantitative data. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 110 employees in the production departments. A qualitative approach (key informant interviews) was used to compliment the quantitative data. In addition, on-site observation was also carried out inside the textile company’s factory focusing on health and safety measures in place for the workers. Results: The results from the data showed that the company has an OHS policy; on the other hand 60.9% of the respondents were not aware on the organization’s existing OSH policy. The study also showed that 99.1% of the respondents were not skilled on occupational safety and health practices. A strong majority of the respondents (66.4%) indicated that the main source of information related to OSH was their supervisors. The company keeps records and maintains registers for accidents experienced at the workplace; however the company doesn’t submit accident reports to government labour inspectors. The study showed that the management of UTEXRWA provides personal protective equipment (PPE) and 98.2% of the respondents indicated that PPE were available during working activities and 91.8% were motivated by using PPE to protect their clothing and other personal effects. The study also showed that accidents do happen at the workplace and that 41.8% of the respondents have been exposed to hazards and physical injuries and that the cause of hazards was the lack of adequate trainings on OSH practices.

Conclusion: The analysis indicated discrepancies between the policies and practices that the employer understands and has reported to be in place to meet basic requirements and the policies and practices that employee reports to be in place. The study revealed that there is a compliance gap in the company related to government occupational safety and health regulations.