Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions about Occupational Hazards and The Use of Safety Measures among Healthcare Workers in a Teaching Hospital in Rwanda

Abstract

Healthcare workplaces are unsafe environments due to inherent sources of hazards. This study was conducted to assess healthcare
workers' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of workplace hazards and availability of safety measures at a teaching hospital in
Rwanda. A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study design with mixed method approach was used. Healthcare workers of
a teaching hospital were selected by stratified sampling and asked to complete a structured self-administered questionnaire.
Information was collected from the participants about the socio-demographic characteristics as well as the knowledge, attitude
and perceptions of occupational hazards and the presence of safety measures. A total of 290 staff responded to the questionnaire,
of which 163(56.2%) were males. The mean age was 35.81 years (SD: ±7.528 years). Most of the participants (n=151; 52.1%)
reported that they met patients with highly contagious diseases 12 months before data collection; 155 (53.3%) participants had
needle stick injuries. Overall, 143 (49.3%) participants had knowledge deemed adequate; with the majority being males who are
married, have a bachelor’s degree and are aged above 30 years. The results show that 154 (53.1%) participants had a good
attitude. Bad attitude was associated with being aged 26 or younger, female, divorced, widowed, or only completed secondary
education. Over the course of the year, half of hospital staff are exposed to workplace hazards. There are gaps in knowledge
about workplace hazards and proper safety practices. Healthcare workers' attitudes also put them at risk. Workplace health
education and policy need to be strengthened to create a safe working environment.