The management of occupational health and safety services in the clinics in Mafikeng area, North West Province, South Africa

MBA, North-West University, Mahikeng Campus ; The fundamental purpose of occupational health and safety is to avoid occupational diseases and injuries to the workers. Rendering these occupational health and safety services benefits the organisations in that time lost due to the worker(s) staying away from work treating the disease or injury is lessened. Productivity is also improved when the workers are healthy and working in healthy conditions. Lastly the organisations do not have to lose money in compensating the workers who have been disabled by the injuries and diseases sustained at work. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine whether the occupational health and safety services were effectively managed in the clinics in Mafikeng area with special emphasis being to determine whether the occupational health and safety services were accessible to the health care workers in the clinics in Mafikeng area, whether the workers were benefiting from these services, and whether there was recording and reporting of the occupational diseases and injuries sustained by the workers to their employers for compiling valid and reliable statistical reports on them, and thereafter implementing appropriate remedial measures. It is evident from the literature that global economic development of organisations revolves around offering effective and efficient occupational health and safety services to their workers. These workers should not only be taken as tools for production compromising their occupational health and safety. Disregarding this factor has unbearable socio-economic implications for the organisations, the workers, their immediate families and the country as a whole. Occupational health and safety for the health care workers should keep pace with developments around the world, to enhance their interest in their profession and their performance. Structured questionnaires were used to gather information from the workers in the clinics in Mafikeng area. The study was a survey type and the method used for ...