Injury and violence
Guidelines for occupational safety and health, including HIV in the health services sector
A guide to ensuring occupational safety and health in the health services sector
Authors:
; The Republic of Uganda Ministry of Health
Publisher:
US Agency for International Development , 2008
These guidelines, published by the Ministry of Health of Uganda, recognise that all types of work are hazardous and persons at work are exposed to situations that may result into injury, disease or even death. In Uganda, the authors argue that the health sector is loaded with a wide variety of situations where health and safety issues are crucial. Additionally, the authors assert that while the economic cost of occupational risks is high, public awareness of safety and health tends to be quite low. The authors argue that the Ugandan health sector requires a standardised framework for workplace safety and health, including responding specifically to HIV as a workplace hazard.
This document is broadly divided into five chapters: the first comprises of background information that includes the magnitude of workplace accidents and incidents as well as the justification for these guidelines. The second chapter addresses the basic principles and interventions that are considered essential for the sector’s workplace safety and health. The third chapter deals with management of HIV and AIDS as a specific workplace hazard while the fourth chapter covers management of the other common hazards that exist at the health workplace. The final chapter deals with implementation of a workplace safety and health programme, including aspects of monitoring.
