Workers’ perceptions and awareness of occupational safety and health legislation in the food manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The research investigated workers’ awareness and perceptions of safety and legislation in the food industry of Zimbabwe as a strategy to minimize occupational accidents. The research adopted a descriptive survey design focusing on three purposively selected companies in the food manufacturing sector in Harare. A sample size of 122 workers representing 10% of the total labourforce was selected through stratified random sampling for questionnaires. Results of the survey revealed that most workers were not sure if their work environment was safe and less than half of these workers were aware of safety and health legislation in Zimbabwe. This scenario presents a challenge to improvement in safety and health at workplaces due to workers’ ignorance of prescribed legislative standards and practices. A massive collaborative campaign must be done to ensure that workers are aware of safety and health laws and their application in order to minimize occupational incidences.