Philippine E-Journals

Occupational health and safety needs of employees in an academic institution in Baguio City

Marilou M. Saong | Jaleh V. Gacayan | Clark Cian Marcelino

 

Abstract:

New demands have arisen for understanding the causes and means of prevention of accidents, injuries, and illnesses among employees and staff in universities. A review of occupational health and safety studies in academic institutions revealed the scarcity of the subject in the Philippines. Thus, this descriptive study gathered information on the hazards, risks and other relevant health factors encountered by the teaching and non-teaching employees in one of the big universities in Baguio City, Philippines. Specifically, the study identified the hazards commonly encountered by the employees in their work and determined the extent to which these hazards were observed through survey and open-ended questionnaires. The results of the survey were validated through informal interviews, documentary analysis and field observations. The study involved 109 full-time teaching and 95 non-teaching employees who volunteered to be part of the study. The results of the study proved that university employees were exposed to varied types of hazards, ranging from moderate to high level. The nature of work was recognized to be a significant factor contributing to the level of hazards encountered by the employees. Reduction of identified ergonomic, chemical and psychosocial hazards and maintenance of a safe and healthy workplace necessitates strong management commitment and strong employee participation are recommended.