The Status and Performance of Workplace Health and Safety Information System in Nairobi Province, Kenya

Abstract

Workplace is a significant contributor to disease, injury and fatalities. This study investigated the status and performance of workplace health and safety information system in Nairobi Province, Kenya. The study was motivated by requirement for information on workplace injury and disease data, risk factors, distribution patterns and cost of hazards. Systematic random sampling was used to select 150 workplaces from 845 registered workplaces in Nairobi Province for interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Nairobi Province was selected because of its heavy concentration of industries and other enterprises. The method and systems in place for collecting, coding, analyzing and use occupational disease and injury data were appraised to determine the limitations that hamper efforts to quantify the nature and extent of occupational hazards. This study found that 39.3%, 45.3%, 12.0%, 21.3% and 19.3% of workplaces recorded, reported, analyzed, kept records and used injury and disease data respectively. The study also found collection, management and dissemination of injury and diseases data were poor and the regulator scored 4, 1 and 3 respectively in a scale rating of 10. The study concluded that workplace data management system was not adequate and recommends formulation of workplace data policy with an appropriate framework of an elaborate and effective data collection, management and dissemination structures supported by necessary trainings that will provide meaningful statistics to fight against workplace hazards.