Perceptions regarding occupational injuries by employees at Letaba Hospital in Mopani District, Limpopo Province

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of employees regarding Occupational injuries at Letaba Hospital, Mopani District in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study followed the qualitative-explorative design. Purposive sampling was utilised to select participants·to partake in focus group Interviews. The discussions were tape recorded with the permission from the respondents. Tesch's eight steps of data analysis were utilized to analyse the data. The findings revealed that even though the participants know about occupational injuries, some still blame other people and witchcraft as causes of injuries. The participants experienced occupational injuries like burns, falling from ladders and needle pricks due to negligence in the use of Personal Protective Equipments. It emerged in the findings that occupational injuries can cause death at times. The study also revealed that negative perceptions and experiences of the employees towards the use of Personal Protective Equipment are still a challenge to some participants. The institution and the provincial office were perceived to be responsible for provision of Personal Protective Equipments that should be done twice or thrice a year and that in-service training and awareness campaigns should be organized for the employees in the Mopani district. The study concluded that if employees have negative perceptions and experiences regarding occupational injuries their preventive effort becomes low and become exposed to injuries as a result of not using personal protective equipment. The study recommends that employees get workshops regarding the value of occupational injuries and be supported by both the local institution and the provincial Occupational Health and Safety office.