Relationship Between Occupational Health and Safety Practices and Job Satisfaction among Health Care Workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital in Nyandarua County, Kenya

Abstract

Healthcare workers are exposed to various occupational hazards including infectious diseases, chemical exposures, ergonomic risks, and workplace violence, which significantly compromise their safety and wellbeing. Despite being frontline providers of essential healthcare services, these workers often experience inadequate occupational health and safety support, leading to increased injury rates, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction. At North Kinangop Catholic Hospital in Nyandarua County, Kenya, healthcare workers faced multiple occupational risks that threatened their physical and mental health, potentially affecting both workforce retention and quality of patient care. A critical knowledge gap existed regarding how occupational health and safety practices influence job satisfaction in resource-constrained healthcare settings. The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship between occupational health and safety practices and job satisfaction among health workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital in Nyandarua County, Kenya. Specifically, the study evaluated the level of occupational health and safety practices implemented at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital, assessed the level of job satisfaction among healthcare workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital, and determined the relationship between occupational health and safety practices and job satisfaction among healthcare workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 83 healthcare workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital using structured questionnaires with Likert scales. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27 to determine correlations between occupational health and safety practices and job satisfaction levels among the healthcare workers. Results revealed generally positive perceptions of OHS practices, with 74.7% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing to emergency preparedness training, and 68.7% expressing satisfaction with OHS policy understanding. Personal Protective Equipment usage showed strong compliance (81.9% agreement), while 81.9% confirmed timely PPE delivery. Regarding job satisfaction, 75.9% were satisfied or highly satisfied with their work, and 90.4% reported safe physical working conditions. However, areas of concern included satisfaction with promotion criteria (62.2% satisfied) and with medical insurance (44.6% satisfied). The study found that healthcare workers at North Kinangop Catholic Hospital who experienced better workplace safety practices also reported higher job satisfaction. Strong OHS implementation, particularly in emergency preparedness (74.7% agreement) and PPE (81.9% compliance), correlated with high job satisfaction levels (75.9% satisfied). The overall mean score for OHS practices was 81.53 (SD = 13.54), while the overall mean score for job satisfaction was 81.51 (SD = 12.23). Results showed a strong correlation between OHS practices and job satisfaction, indicating that better safety practices are linked to higher employee satisfaction. The study recommended to strengthen transparency in promotion criteria, improve medical insurance coverage, enhance employee orientation, regularly conduct hazard identification, enforce psychological safety,align salary to economic situation in the country and implement internal pay equity