SAFETY CULTURE AMONG THE STAFF AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background: Workers practicing good safety culture will have less accident at their workplace. This principle also applies to workers in institution such as in public universities in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on safety culture and its associated factors among staffs at a government medical university in Malaysia.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross sectional study that was conducted during the period of one month (July 2016) in order to pre-test the modified safety attitude questionnaire prior to the main study. A number of 44 questionnaires were distributed, which is the 20% of the sample size of the main study and 40 questionnaires were returned back by the respondents
Result: The results of the study showed that out of 40 respondents who answered the questionnaire 11(27.5%) had good knowledge on safety culture, 17 (42.5%) had positive attitudes towards safety culture and 13(32.5%) had good practice towards safety culture. In terms of socio-demographic and employment characteristics, majority of them are in the age group of ≤36 years, female (57.5%), Malay (90.0%), married (80.0%), have a doctoral degree (37.5%), with income group of RM ≤ 3000, and are permanent staff (90.0%), worked as administrative staff (35.0%) with work duration of <8 which is 70% of the respondents. Chi square test showed those factors that were significantly associated with KAP of safety culture: job title (p=0.041) and length of service (p=0.010) with attitudes towards safety culture and age (p=0.039) with practice towards safety culture. Binary logistic regression test showed the significant predictor factors to KAP of safety culture were length of service (OR=16, 95% CI: 1.77-144.72) with attitudes towards safety culture and age (OR=6.875, 95% CI: 1.272-37.150) with practice towards safety culture.
Conclusion: The proportion of good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice towards safety culture in this study was lower compared to those found in academic setting in other studies on safety culture. Training on safety culture is needed here to improve the staffs awareness and KAP on safety culture
Keywords: Safety culture, KAP of safety culture, associated factors, Malaysia