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| Author | Neville Schembri |
| Abstract | In this study the author concluded that although some efforts are being made, however further progress is required to safeguard occupational health and safety within the public hospital under study. As expressed by several participants in the study there are several potential physical and psychological hazards in the hospital that need to be addressed and tackled in a coherent and systematic manner. Poor attention to health and safety issues is affecting staff retention and posing detrimental effects on the quality of care and staff morale as expressed by some employees themselves. Although the hospital is always expanding its services and offering an ever-increasing quality of specialised care to the respective clients, resources are not being channelled towards health and safety initiatives. Management of health and safety in the hospital is far from desired both as concerns the employees point of view as well as individuals in management positions. There is a general agreement that something need be done by all the parties involved (management and employees). Encouraging signs for possible future collaboration and involvement between the management and staff have emerged from the study. Such positive findings could serve as an impetus for the management to start showing signs that the problem is going to be tackled and everyone giving his/her personal contribution. The employees seem to have quite a fair understanding of what occupational health and safety entails and what it is all about. Further exploiting such elements amongst the workforce will help for the success of the health and safety management system. There is a considerable lack of health and safety policies and guidelines in the hospital. General policies need be prepared touching various elements of occupational health and safety. Communication of the few existing policies is very poor and requires further attention. A strategy for effective means to communicating such policies should be found whilst units/wards need be helped and encouraged to develop specific departmental policies. There is a general lack of training initiatives on health and safety issues within the hospital. The few training initiatives being tackled concern elements of controlling physical risks (e.g. needlestick injury prevention, fire training etc.) and being tackled by the Infection Control Unit. Elements concerning psychological health and safety factors such as potential psychological effects of occupational stress, violence and excessive workload/ working hours are not being tackled at all. Such points have been outlined by the employees themselves showing that such problems do exist and are being faced on a daily basis. Certain elements inherent within the culture or personal individual traits have emerged that might need some further thought and consideration whilst planning for any changes regarding health and safety management. Such elements have also been previously confirmed in another study involving different sectors of the Maltese workforce. These negative elements should not discourage the majority of management and employees whom from their behalf would like to see a change into the right direction. With the aim of this study designed to investigate the health and safety situation at Malta's main general hospital in preparation to setting up a safety and health management system, the following recommendations could be forwarded for further consideration. The recommended strategy is divided into actions requiring immediate action and others requiring further consideration prior to medium term implementation. |
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| Key words | Health Services Management, Thesis, Occupational Safety and Health System |