Assessment of Employee Awareness of the Applicability of Ergonomic Exercises in the Banking Institutions in Nairobi, Kenya

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Date
2013Author
Boro, Waiganjo Luka
Mwisukha, A.
Onywera, V.O.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate into Kenyan bank employees' awareness on
the applicability of ergonomic exercises in the course of their work. It was hypothesized
that there would. h,e no significant differences in terms of gender and position of work in
relation to the above. Subjects for the study included tellers, secretaries, clerks, and
officers in banking institutions in Nairobi. 1,500 employees from jive banks (National
bank, Cooperative bank, Equity bank, Kenya Commercial bank and Family Finance)
were targeted. A total of seventeen branches from the banks and 450 employees were
selected randomly for the study. Questionnaires were administered to collect information
related to the employees' awareness of the applicability of exercise in th e banking
institutions. 321 questionnaires were completed and returned. Qualitative methods of
data analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Chi-square at p 0.05 was run to test the
hypothesis. Results indicated that most employees were not aware of the applicability of
ergonomic exercises in the banking institutions. There was a significant gender difference
(x2=752, n=321, df=5, p<0.05). Females (41.32%) were more aware of the applicability
of ergonomic exercises than the males (35.71%). In addition there was a significant
difference in terms of working position (x2 674, n=321, df=5, p<0.05). The tellers
(51.90%) were the most unaware while the secretaries (67.74%) were the most aware. It
was therefore recommended tGa.t-the Kenya Bankers Association in partnership with the
bank management initiate ergonomics training for their employees and make the banks
ergonomically sound. In addition, more research to establish specific effects of exercises
on specific musculoskeletal injuries, and the most effective duration for exercising were
recommended.