Knowledge and Practice of Restaurants’ Workers Regarding Occupational Health Hazards and Safety Measures at Assiut University Restaurants

Abstract

Background: The restaurant sector considers one of the most rapidly developing sectors in the world. The incidence rate of occupational injury is the highest in restaurants, making it the most dangerous occupation. Aim of the study: assess workers' knowledge and practice regarding occupational health hazards and safety measures in restaurants. Subjects and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A convenient sample of 806 workers has participated. Tool 1: an interview questionnaire sheet was developed and collected by the researchers, it included three parts, Part one: personal characteristics, Part two: an observational checklist to assess restaurant environment conditions. Part three: knowledge questionnaire about occupational health hazards. Tool 2: an observational checklist to assess workers' practices toward using safety measures in restaurants. Results: The majority of the studied workers had insufficient knowledge and they didn't use the protective measures during their working. Conclusion: There was a positive statistical significant difference between workers' knowledge and their educational level, as well as a positive correlation was found between workers' knowledge and their practice toward using safety measures. Recommendations: Health education programs should be developed and implemented for restaurant workers to increase their awareness about occupational health hazards and safety measures.