A Study on the Employees’ OSH Knowledge and Attitude Level

Abstract

A wide variety of emergencies adversely affect workplaces and employee health. Besides, large-scale disasters cause material damage in large proportions and most importantly threaten working life too. This study was carried out by conducting a survey in the workplaces which are situated in Gümüşhane and Trabzon province in order to evaluate knowledge level and attitude of the employees about institutional applications related to Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) and “Regulation on Emergencies in Workplaces” that published in 2013 in Turkey. The study was planned as a quantitative research. A Total of 31 public and private enterprises, 20 from Gümüşhane and 11 from Trabzon, participated in the study. A total of 31 public and private enterprises from Gümüşhane and 11 from Trabzon participated in the study. A total of 563 employee questionnaires were validated and analyzed. 563 employees participated in the study. 325 of them were workers, 16 were chief-foremen, 129 were technical staff, 46 were administrative staff, and 30 were managers. As a result, while the knowledge level of the employees about legal issues is sufficient, there is a deficiency about considering the subject significant and about implementation. It is believed that providing training for the employees by related enterprises will have a positive impact on the employees’ opinion about OSH.

Keywords

• Emergencies and Disasters,Occupational Health and Safety,Emergency Action Plans for Workplaces,Occupational Groups

References

1. Ajslev, Jeppe, Lali Dastjerdi, Efat, Dyreborg, Johnny, Kines, Pete, Christiane Jeschke Katharina, Sundstrup, Emil, Due Jakobsen, Nils Fallentin, Lars Louis Andersen, Markus, 2017, Safety climate and accidents at work: Cross-sectional study among 15,000 workers of the general working population, Safety Science 91 (2017) 320–325, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2016.08.029
2. Battaglia, Massimo, Passetti, Emilio, Frey, Marco, 2015, Occupational health and safety management in municipal waste companies: A note on the Italian sector, Safety Science 72 (2015) 55–65, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.08.002
3. Can, Abdullah, 2014, [Data Analysis during Scientific Research with SPSS-SPSS ile Bilimsel Araştırma Süresince Veri Analizi], Pegem Academy Publishing, Ankara, 3. Edition, p.369.
4. Duff, D. Evan, 2007, Evaluation of Crisis Management and the Implementation of Employee Training for Emergency Preparedness in a Private College, ProQuest Information and Learning Company, Dissertation, 2007.International Labour Organization, 2015, Safety at Work, http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/lang--en/index.htm; Access Date: 08/10/2015.
5. İslamoğlu, Hamdi, Alnıaçık, Ümit, 2014, [Research Methods in Social Sciences-Sosyal Bilimlerde Araştırma Yöntemleri], Beta Publishing, İstanbul, 4. Edition.
6. Research and Development Institute of Occupational Health and Safety, 2015, OSH Documents, http://www.isgum.gov.tr, Access Date: 09/08/2015. Kadıoğlu, M. and Özdamar, E., (Editors), [Basic Principals of Disaster Mitigation-Afet Zararlarını Azaltmanın Temel İlkeleri; p. 1-34, JICA Turkish Office Publications, No. 2, Ankara.
7. Korkmaz, Adem, Avsallı, Hüseyin, 2012, [A New Period in Working Life: Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331-Çalışma Hayatında Yeni Bir Dönem: 6331 Sayılı İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Yasası], Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Journal of Social Sciences, August 2012, No. 26, p.153-167.
8. Laia Ollé-Espluga et al., Montse Vergara-Duarte, Francesc Belvis, María Menéndez-Fuster, Pere Jódar, Joan Benach, What is the impact on occupational health and safety when workers know they have safety representatives?, Safety Science 74 (2015) 55–58, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.022.Michela Bonafede, Marisa Corfiati, Diana Gagliardi, Fabio Boccuni, Matteo Ronchetti, Antonio Valenti, Alessandro Marinaccio, Sergio Iavicoli, (2016), OHS Management And Employers’ Perception: Differences By Firm Size İn A Large Italian Company Survey, Safety Science 89 (2016) 11–18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2016.05.012.

9. Official Gazette, 2012, [Occupational Health and Safety Law-İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Kanunu], resmigazete.gov.tr, Access Date: 20/09/2016.Said Ali, 2015, [A study over Defining the Level of Awareness on Occupational Health and Safety Measurement and First Aid of the Employees Working in the Industrial and Mining Companies Whose May Have a High Risk of Disaster and Occupational Accident: A Case Study of Gümüşhane Province-Afet ve Kaza Riskinin Yüksek Olduğu Sanayi ve Maden Kuruluşlarında Çalışanların İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Ölçümü ve İlk Yardım Bilgi Düzeylerinin Belirlenmesi Üzerine Bir Çalışma: Gümüşhane İli Örneği], Master Thesis, p.18.
10. Social Security Institution, 2015, Statistics of the Years 1997-2006, www.sgk.gov.tr, Access Date: 08/09/2015.Republic of Turkey, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, 2014, [Glossary of Disaster Management Terms-Açıklamalı Afet Yönetimi Terimler Sözlüğü], https://www.afad.gov.tr/Dokuman/TR/101-2014112716301-sozluk.pdf, Access Date: 10/05/2015
11. Tozkoparan, Güler, Taşoğlu, Jale, 2011, [A Research Related to Determine Attitudes of Workers about Occupational Health and Safety Practices-İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Uygulamaları İle İlgili İşgörenlerin Tutumlarını Değerlendirmeye Yönelik Bir Araştırma], Uludağ University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Vol. XXX, No. 1, S.181-209.
12. Özkılıç, Ö., 2005. [Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and Risk Assessment Methodologies-İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Yönetim Sistemleri ve Risk Değerlendirme Metodolojileri], Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations Publishing, ISBN: 975-2545-25-12, No. 4724.