Examining health and safety behaviour of some hotel staff in the Sagnarigu Municipality

Abstract

Hotel staffs are often exposed to a variety of safety and health hazards due to the tasks they need to perform in the kitchen or other specifics tasks that they are asked to perform. Most hotel industries in Ghana had not given adequate consideration to safety and health hazard protection as a business success factor. The study aimed at examining health and safety behaviour of hotel staff in the Sagnarigu Municipality. The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population of this study comprised of all the staff of 26 licensed hotels in Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana. From the target population, a sample of 160 hotel staffs, comprising 20 staff from each 8 hotel that were selected for the study using simple random sampling method. Questionnaire was used for this study. The study found that health and safety plans are available at workplace, working environment are always kept free from all objects that can cause harm or injury to the workers, and safety issues are communicated prompt and adequately to all concerned. The findings revealed lack of safety rules and guidelines, lack of management commitment, lack of personal protection equipment, and lack of proper safety education and training are the key factors that influence health and safety behaviour of hotel staff. The study found a positive and significant relationship between health and safety behaviour and safety outcome at the hotel (F=2.151, p=016<0.05). It was concluded that the magnitude of the relationship between health and safety behaviour and safety outcome is 25.3%, while the remaining 74.7% (100% – 25.3%) is influenced by variables. The study recommended that hotel management should strengthen behavioural safety management systems that will continuously improve the attitudes of hotel staff towards health and safety. Also, proper communications and interpersonal skills, which are necessary at every level should be ensured that the correct influences on behaviour are consistently reinforced.