Do Occupational Health and Safety Measures Influence Job Productivity in a Manufacturing Company in Jamaica?

Abstract

Many businesses continue to experience on the job occupational hazards. These occupational hazards have influenced the health of employees, production, equipment, and sometimes account for the loss of lives and properties. Occupational hazards and safety also form a critical part of the manufacturing business modus operandi because people are employee in their operations, and as such must be protected as outlined in the International Standards on Quality Assurance and Quality Management (ISO 9000). This study seeks to evaluate the effect of occupational health and safety programmes on job productivity among workers who are employed in XYZ manufacturing company in Kingston, Jamaica (pseudo name). A descriptive research design will be employed to conduct a probability cross-sectional survey of employees who are actively engaged in the work at XYZ manufacturing company between January and June 2020. For this study, a standardized instrument employed by Kaynak, Toklu, Elci, & Toklu (2016) to evaluate safety procedure and risk management, safety and health rules, organizational commitment, work alienation, organizational safety supports, and occupational hazards prevention and job performance was used to collect the data. The data will be entered, stored, and retrieved using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, Version 25.0. The data will be analyzed by way of descriptive statistics, and ordinary least square regression. A p-value of 5 per cent will be used to determined statistical significance, and the reliability analysis will be done in keeping with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A moderate statistical relationship emerged between 1) occupational hazards prevention programme and job performance (r_xy=0.516, P < 0.001) and 2) occupational hazards prevention programme and job productivity (r_xy=0.485, P < 0.001). However, weak direct statistical correlations existed between occupational safety supports and 1) job performance (r_xy=0.329, P < 0.001) and 2) job productivity (r_xy=0.413, P < 0.001). On the other hand, a moderate positive correlation emerged between safety and health rules and job productivity (r_xy=0.512, P < 0.001). In addition, a direct statistical correlation existed between job performance and job productivity (r_xy=0.477, P < 0.001). The five selected occupational health and safety programme variables and job performance can be linearly used to model job productivity (F[6.385]=46.772, P <0.0001), with four of the six variables accounting (employees’ wellness, safety and health rules, and safety procedures and risk management) for 41.3 per cent of the variance in job productivity (adjusted R²=0.413). Using stepwise regression, it was determined that safety procedure and risk management programmes contribute the most to job productivity (r=26.2%) followed by job performance (r=9.6%), employee wellness programme (r=4.5%), and lastly by safety and health rules (r=1.6%). Occupational health and safety procedures hold a crucial role in the success of a company. These issues are not merely meeting international standards instituted by the International Labour Organizations; but they are social and economic good for an organization.