Influence of Physical Occupational Health and Safety Measures on Employee Performance at National Social and Security Fund, Kenya

Abstract

Organizations exist to produce goods and services to meet the customers' demands and to give favorable working environment for workers as outlined in the Occupational Health and safety standards Act (2007). Since organizations depend on the employees as the main working force to help them meet their objectives, the provision of safe and healthy programmes will depend on the size of the organizations. This research project was supported by three objectives namely: to determine the extent to which sanitation influences employee performance, to determine extent to which staff security influences employee performance and to evaluate the influence of Office space and layout on employee performance at NSSF. Herzberg's two-factor theory, developed by Frederick Herzberg in 1959, Kerr's goal-freedom alertness theory, developed by Kerr in 1950, and Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory, developed in 1943, all provided support for the study. Descriptive research design was used in this study where 4750 staff at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), headquarters in Nairobi, will be considered as the population. Stratified and purposive samplings were used in this study where a sample of 369 from the population was considered. The study used structured questionnaires and observation methods as instruments of data collection. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse mean, percentages and Standard deviation. This was aided by using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software. Qualitative data was examined using inferential statistics. The link between physical occupational health and safety measures as an independent variable and employee performance as a dependent variable was examined using a linear regression model. Research’s findings suggested that a number of illnesses and disorders were brought on by poor sanitation. As a result, more security equipment, including metal detectors, should be obtained to ensure the safety of the workers. Research on the impact of office layout and space indicated that staff congestion increased the risk of contracting airborne infections, which had a detrimental impact on employees' performance. In order to assist reduce illnesses and diseases connected to health and safety and to increase employee performance, the study advised that more monies be provided by management at NSSF for improving sanitation, staff security, office space, and layout.