TRADE PROJECT

IMPACT OF HEALTH SAFETY POLICIES FOR COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN

ELDORET TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

NAME: NAOMI CHEROTICH

INDEX NUMBER: 509111…

COURSE: SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY

CENTER: ELDORET TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

SUPERVISOR: MR. ENWINE OYANGO

NOTIFICATION: SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMNET FOR THE

AWARD IN CERTIFICATE IN SCIENCE LABORATORY

SERIES: JULY 2024

i
DECLARATION
The research project is my original work I understand that plagiarism is an offense and I declare
therefore that this research project has not been submitted for any other award in any other
Institution.

Naomi cherotich Sign…………………….. Date……………….

This research project has been submitted with my approval as the college supervisor.

MR. ODONGO Sign:…………………… Date…………………

ii
DEDICATION
This research project is dedicated to my lovely mother, sister and my college Colleagues whom
we did all the work together as a group work.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge my supervisor Mr. ODONGO my college for provision of enabling environment
and the entire Eldoret Technical Training Institute fraternity for their support, special thanks to
all my colleagues.

May Almighty God bless you all?

iv
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 may spread rapidly in densely populated urban informal settlements. Kenya swiftly
implemented mitigation policies; we assess the economic, social and health-related harm
disproportionately impacting women.

A prospective longitudinal cohort study with repeated mobile phone surveys in April, May and
June 2020.

2009 households across five informal settlements in Nairobi sampled from two previously
interviewed cohorts.

Outcomes include food insecurity, risk of household violence and forgoing necessary health
services due to the pandemic. Gender-stratified linear probability regression models were
constructed to determine the factors associated with these outcomes.

By May, more women than men reported adverse effects of COVID-19 mitigation policies on
their lives. Women were 6 percentage points more likely to skip a meal versus men (coefficient:
0.055; 95% CI 0.016 to 0.094), and those who had completely lost their income were 15
percentage points more likely versus those employed (coefficient: 0.154; 95% CI 0.125 to 0.184)
to skip a meal. Compared with men, women were 8 percentage points more likely to report
increased risk of household violence (coefficient: 0.079; 95% CI 0.028 to 0.130) and 6
percentage points more likely to forgo necessary healthcare (coefficient: 0.056; 95% CI 0.037 to
0.076).

v
Table of Contents
DECLARATION............................................................................................................................................ii
DEDICATION..............................................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.............................................................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................v
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................................................1
1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................1
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY........................................................................................................1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.......................................................................................................3
1.3 RESEAR H OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................................3
1.3.1 Overall objective.............................................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Specific Objectives..........................................................................................................................4
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS.....................................................................................................................4
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY........................................................................................................4
1.6 SCOPE.....................................................................................................................................................5
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY..........................................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................................6
LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................................................6
2.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................6
2.1 THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY.....................................................................................6
2.2 FRAMEWORKS FOR MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR COV1D 19..................8
2.2.1 International Frameworks..............................................................................................................8
2.2.2 National and Local Frameworks......................................................................................................8
2.3 SAFETY HAZARDS RELATED TO COVID 19................................................................................10
2.4 HEALTH AND SAFETY IN INSTITUTE..........................................................................................11
2.5 CHALLENGES IN MANAGING COVID 19 AS A HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARD................12
CHAPTER THREE......................................................................................................................................14
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................14
3.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................14

vi
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN...........................................................................................................................14
3.2 LOCATION OF THE STUDY..............................................................................................................15
3.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND SAMPLE SIZE...............................................................................15
3.3.1 Sampling, technique.....................................................................................................................15
3.3.2 Sample size...................................................................................................................................15
3.4 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS..............................................................................................................16
3.5 RELIABILITY......................................................................................................................................16
3.6 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES................................................................................................16
APPENDICIES............................................................................................................................................18
APPENDIX I; LETTER OF INTRODUCTION................................................................................................18
APPENDIX II..............................................................................................................................................19
QUESTIONNAIRE....................................................................................................................................19

vii
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a severe impact on higher education as universities closed
their premises and countries shut their borders in response to lockdown measures. Although
higher education institutions were quick to replace face-to-face lectures with online learning,
these closures affected learning and examinations as well as the safety and legal status of
international students in their host country. Perhaps most importantly, the crisis raises questions
about the value offered by a university education which includes networking and social
opportunities as well as educational content. To remain relevant, universities will need to
reinvent their learning environments so that digitalization expands and complements student-
teacher and other relationships.

In Kenya, the first case of COVID-19 was detected on 13 March 2020 and resulted in the
Kenyan government directing the immediate closure of schools and restaurants/bars and the
prohibition of large gatherings. Two weeks later, on 26 March 2020, Kenya banned international
flights. On 6 April 2020, the Nairobi Metropolitan Area and three counties in coastal Kenya were
contained, restricting movement into and out of these counties. Many businesses and stores
closed as a result. Three months into the crisis, Kenya has confirmed 6673 cases and 149 deaths
related to COVID-19 (as of 1 July 2020). An estimated 60%–70% of Nairobi’s more than 4
million residents reside in urban informal settlements. From 30 to 31 March 2020, Population
Council’s COVID-19 mobile phone-based survey among 2009 informant settlement dwellers
found 61% of respondents reported physical distancing measures would be challenging to
follow, as it would risk their income. The survey also found about 1 in 5 were worried about
food shortages (22%) and about 1 in 3 were worried about job or income loss (34%). Lack of
income may be a significant challenge if prices for food and other critical needs go up, as news
outlets are reporting. Recent reports express concerns that COVID-19 and Kenya’s mitigation
policies may lead to severe setbacks in access to healthcare, as well as reverse progress to date in
nutrition, immunization, other diseases and gender equity.

1
During and after emergencies, conflicts or epidemics, women often face extreme challenges due
to the gender inequality and discrimination that existed before and are exacerbated due to sudden
shifts in gender roles and relations. Studies have found that women are more likely than men to
face increased insecurity, restricted mobility and other major challenges. During the Ebola
outbreak in Sierra Leone, women disproportionately lost their jobs compared with men and the
related economic disruptions impacted girls’ education with more girls being pressured to drop
out over boys due to economic constraints. Women also tend to take on more unpaid household
labour such as cooking, cleaning and childcare during times of crises including COVID-19. With
physical distancing, there are concerns that gender-based violence (GBV) may increase.
Distancing may lead to social isolation and reduce the safety of victims. Stress and coping
mechanisms such as increased alcohol consumption may also lead to more instances of violence.
In China, reports of domestic violence tripled during lockdown, while in South Africa, reports
have increased with 87 000 reports of domestic violence recorded in the first week of lockdown
alone, despite the ban on alcohol. At the same time, services to support survivors are being
disrupted. These trends threaten the progress made towards gender equality and GBV reduction
efforts.

Access to healthcare is another critical dimension that may be exacerbated by the pandemic for
women in particular. People may not be able to afford healthcare due to unemployment caused
by the pandemic, facilities may restrict patient volume to minimize infection risk, and even if
healthcare is available, people may avoid seeking care due to fear of infection at clinics. While
some preliminary studies show men may be more likely to die of COVID-19, women are
adversely impacted in other ways. Mobility restrictions and the cost of healthcare fees may
disproportionately limit the ability of women to seek healthcare, impacting their health but also
the health of children in their care. A recent report suggests 30 million children’s lives may be at
risk if secondary effects on health systems are similar for COVID-19 as they were for Ebola. For
example, shortly after Ebola there was a rise in measles cases, due to the drop in vaccinations
caused by the crisis. There is already the potential for this pattern in Kenya where already,
compared with 2018 and 2019, under-5 outpatient department attendance and vaccination rates
are significantly down. Diverting resources to emerging threats can lead to neglecting other
infectious diseases resulting in new waves of disease outbreaks and many lives lost, or shifting
priorities that may make it more difficult to access sexual and reproductive health services.

2
These lessons need to be considered when allocating resources for COVID-19 and instating
containment policies.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

During the pandemic, remote learning became a lifeline for education but the opportunities that
digital technologies offer go well beyond a stopgap solution during a crisis. Digital technology
offers entirely new answers to the question of what people learn, how they learn, and where and
when they learn. Technology can enable teachers and students to access specialised materials
well beyond textbooks, in multiple formats and in ways that can bridge time and space. Working
alongside teachers, intelligent digital learning systems don’t just teach students science, but can
simultaneously observe how they study, the kind of tasks and thinking that interest them, and the
kind of problems that they find boring or difficult. The systems can then adapt the learning
experience to suit students’ personal learning styles with great granularity and precision.
Similarly, virtual laboratories can give students the opportunity to design, conduct and learn
from experiments, rather than just learning about them.

Moreover, technology does not just change methods of teaching and learning, it can also elevate
the role of teachers from imparting received knowledge towards working as co-creators of
knowledge, as coaches, as mentors and as evaluators. That being said, the COVID-19 crisis
struck at a point when most of the education systems covered by the OECD’s 2018 round of the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were not ready for the world of digital
learning opportunities. A quarter of school principals across the OECD said that shortages or
inadequacy of digital technology was hindering learning quite a bit or a lot, a figure that ranged
from 2% in Singapore to 30% in France and Italy (OECD, 2019[31]). Those figures may even
understate the problem, as not all principals will be aware of the opportunities for instruction that
modern technology can provide.

1.3 RESEAR H OBJECTIVES

1.3.1 Overall objective

The overall objective of the study was to carry out a risk assessment of the impact of health and
safety for Covid 19 in Eldoret Technical Training Institute.

3
1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives included the following;

i) To establish whether Eldoret Technology Institute has an effective health and Covid-19
pandemic.
ii) To identify types of hazards related to covid-19 in Eldoret Technical Training Institute.
iii) To investigate the challenge faced by Eldoret Technical in managing Covid-19 pandemic

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i) Does Eldoret Technical Training Institute has an effective health and safety system for
Covid-19 pandemic
ii) What are types of hazards related to Covid-19 in Eldoret Technical Training Institute
iii) What are the challenges faced by Eldoret Technical training in managing Covid-19
pandemic

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The advancement sustainable development and the protection of human rights are some of the
vital underpinnings of this study, as it helps ensure best COV1D 19 practices are adhered to in
school work environment. Having a healthy and safe work environment lies in accordance with
Principle 1 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the 2019 ILO
Constitution. Amongst other international instruments on sustainable development and human
rights.

Another fundamental advantage of this study is that it assists both the employer and employee to
be compliant with Kenya's Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 2019 as it uses the Act, as well as
11,0 guidelines, as a benchmark for implementation of a sound COVID 19 management at the
study institution.

Overall this study contributes in making the Institute work environment cleaner, safer and
healthier, which benefits the employer, employee and the business. Reduced COVID 19
illnesses, injuries and accidents do not only reduce costs of doing business but also motivate

4
workers, bolster productivity and improve workplace relations. "Economically, morally, and
legally, OSH has become an important issue especially during this COVID 19 pandemic.

1.6 SCOPE
The study will he conducted in Eldoret Technical Training Institute which is located in Eldoret
town central business district (CBD). The researcher chooses this place since it's in the heart of
the town there for it attracts more people hence it can be in danger of COVID 19 pandemic.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The overall objective of this study was to, carries out a risk assessment of COVID 19 hazards
and associated risks that are found in an Institution work environment, and how they are
managed. The risk assessment procedure used in the study referred to the methods developed by
the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA 1E, 2019)

HAS is a broad discipline that covers several health and safety issues, such as Covid- 19 issues
outlined in DOSHS's 2019 Code of Practice on Safety and Health Auditing (GOK, 2019). As this
study was a risk assessment of an Institution work environment, the areas covered will be limited
to health and safety issues found in this industry.

5
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 INTRODUCTION
This section presents literature reviewed in relation to the study's elements, as well as findings of
closely related previous studies and theories. It then explains a conceptual framework for the
study. Finally, a summary of the gaps in knowledge are presented that form the focus of the
study.

2.1 THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY

IAPA (2011: 20) defines the discipline of HS as -the development, promotion, and maintenance
of workplace policies and programs that ensure the physical, mental, and emotional well-being
of employees". IAPA (2011) adds that these policies and programs should aim to maintain a safe
work environment that is relatively free of actual or potential hazards that can harm employees;
place employees in work environments that are suitable to their physical and mental make-up;
and generally promote healthy lifestyles.

Therefore, the interlinking components of health and safety can be combined into one term, the
wellbeing of workers, which is central to the definition of health and safety. However, the
meaning of this concept of wellbeing can be broad and may vary from physical, emotional,
psychological and mental perspectives (Danna, Griffin, 1999). WHO defines health as a "state of
complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity" (WHO, 1946: 1). In health terms, this 'state' may vary from work related injuries and
diseases such as industrial deafness and dermatitis to general health problems such as high blood
pressure and stress (Muigua, 2012). Some psychology perspectives, for example, associate a
worker's wellbeing with mental health to ensure psychological wellbeing (Kelloway, Day. 2011),
which is a viewpoint that based the definition of a psychologically healthy workplace by the
American Psychological Association (A PA):

"An organization that (incorporates) health promotion activities, (offers) employee assistance
programs, (has) flexible benefits and working conditions, (treats) employees fairly.

6
And (offers) programs for employee development, health, safety, and the prevention of work
stress" (Kelloway, Day, 2011: 223).

APA's definition emphasizes the aspects of employee development and a stress-free work
environment, and is particularly useful when considering the effect of psychosocial hazards at
the workplace.

Another component central to the definition of HS is injury/illness. The United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics states that an injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or
exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or
significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Ontario
Ministry of Labor (1990) and IAPA (2011) break down the term further by adding that
injury/illness is a harmful condition that results from exposure in the workplace to a biological,
chemical, physical or ergonomic hazard to the extent that the normal physiological mechanisms
are affected and the health of the worker is impaired. And so, "efforts in health and safety must
aim to prevent industrial accidents and diseases, and at the same time recognize the connection
between worker health and safety, the workplace, and the environment outside the workplace"
(ILO, 1996: 2).

In this study, the definition of health and safety by the 2011 Joint International Labour
Organization (1L0)/WHO Committee's definition on Health is applied as it incorporates the
various components of HS into one definition (outlined in Definition of Terms and Concepts). It
is particularly interesting in the sense that it relates people and work, and how the two influence
each other to produce certain desirable or undesirable outcomes. This definition can be
considered complete as it stresses that HS encompasses the social, mental, and physical well-
being of workers, the 'whole person' (ILO, 1996). It also demonstrates how different perspectives
(ILO and WHO) can fuse into each other to produce an all-round understanding of an otherwise
complex concept of health and safety.

7
2.2 FRAMEWORKS FOR MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR COV1D
19.

2.2.1 International Frameworks

According to Normlex (2014) Kenya has ratified and adopted 49 ILO conventions, 43 of which
are in force, and approximately 10 of which are related to HS (ILO, 2013). Most of' the HS
conventions adopted are either in regards to accident compensation, or associated with the
agricultural and marine industries. Kenya, however, has not ratified to the important conventions
regarding COVID 19 such as the Safety and Health Convention of 2019 (No.155) or its Protocol
of 2020. However according to ILO (2019), this convention and the '2020 Convention on the
Promotional Framework for Safety and Health (No. 187)' have been identified and prioritized for
ratification, but are still awaiting an Act of Parliament. Kenya, despite its high labour force in the
Accommodation and Food Service Activities industry (KNBS, 2014), has unfortunately not
ratified any ILO convention in relation to this industry, an important one being the 'Working
Conditions ( Institute and Restaurants) Convention, 2015' (No. 172) which concerns adopting
policies and practices to improve working conditions in the hospitality industry (ILO, 2018).

One of the most important guidelines developed regarding COVID 19 was the 'ILO-OSH 2019:
Guidelines on Safety and Health Management Systems' published in December 2020 by the ILO
(ILO, 2020). This handbook provides practical approaches that assist national institutions,
organizations, employers, workers and other social partners in establishing, implementing and
improving SHMSs, with the aim of reducing work-related injuries, ill health, diseases, incidents
and deaths (ILO, 2020). The ILO-OSH 2020 guidelines will be developed as a response to a
growing need for a unified international standard, whose requirements organizations could base
their SHMSs upon (ILO, 2019; Leman, Hidayah A, 2013).

2.2.2 National and Local Frameworks

In August 2010, Kenya enacted a new Constitution, which is considered the supreme regulatory
and legislation framework that lays the foundation for all other laws (ILO, 2013). Even though
HS is not specified in the Constitution, its principle is still advocated for in Part 2 of the Bill of
Rights. In Article 41, the Constitution stipulates that every person has the right to fair labour
practices and to reasonable working conditions; in Article 42, it states that everyone has the right

8
to clean and healthy environment and in Article 69 it enjoins the State to eliminate processes and
activities that are likely to endanger the environment (GOK, 2010). These Articles are therefore
in tandem with Article 3 of Part 2 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act
(EMCA 2009) which also states that every person in Kenya is entitled to a clean and healthy
environment and has the duty to safeguard and enhance the environment, by preventing, stopping
or discontinuing any act or omission deleterious to the environment. EMCA 2009 is geared
towards improving the quality of the environment including the working environment as it
requires workplaces to develop the necessary institutional frameworks for environmental and
health and safety. Examples of other Kenyan laws and regulations that cover some aspects of
COVID 19 include the Public Health Act CAP 242, the Radiation Protection Act CAP 243, and
the Pest Control Products Act Cap 346 (GOK, 2019; Muchiri, 2019; GOK, 2010; Muigua, 2020;
ILO. 2019).

"The purpose of OSHA for COVID 19, 2019, is to secure the safety, health and welfare of
people at work, and to protect those not at work from risks to their safety and health arising from,
or in connection with, the activities of people at work. The purpose of WIBA 2019 is to provide
compensation to employees for work-related injuries and diseases contracted in the course of
their employment, and for connected purposes" (ILO, 2019, p.3).

The Government of Kenya (GOK), and particularly the Ministry of Labour, developed in 2012
the National Safety and Health Policy whose objectives are to establish national safety and health
systems and programs geared towards the improvement of the work environment; and to
mainstream safety and health issues into management systems of both private and public sectors.
These objectives and the implementation of the policy will be in line with achieving the goals of
Kenya's Vision 2030 which aims to develop Kenya into a globally competitive and prosperous
country with a high quality of life by the year 2030; and so in order to achieve this. There is need
to improve the safety and health of workers throughout the nation. However, this policy is yet to
be implemented, as even though the draft has been submitted to the Cabinet, it is still awaiting
discussion and approval (GOK, 2012; Kenya Vision 2014).

The challenges associated with implementing HS in Kenya are largely due to lack of man power
and funding. For instance out of 375 available posts in DOSHS, only 139 are filled, of which
only 71 are HS personnel and the rest are administrative support personnel. DOSHS are as well

9
underfunded, for example during the financial year 2010-2011, DOSHS was allocated Ksh 327
million for all its activities against a budgeted sum of Ksh 683 million (ILO, 2013). For these
reasons, DOSHS has only been able to inspect approximately 4000 workplaces a year out of the
estimated 140,000, which leaves most workers (especially the 8.8 million that arc estimated to
work in the informal sector), exposed to HS hazards without intervention (ILO, 2013; Muigua,
2012; Muchiri, 2011). There is also unequal representation of DOSHS officers throughout the
country, as only 29 counties have DOSHS representation. Leaving the remaining counties with
no officers. Rural areas, in particular, are insufficiently covered by DOSHS officers, and
illiteracy levels in these areas tend to be high, and so these illiterate workers are left exposed to
HS hazards (ILO, 2013). Therefore, the achievement of COVID 19 management standards in
Kenya still lacks capacity.

2.3 SAFETY HAZARDS RELATED TO COVID 19

According to EC (2016) there is no single 'right' way of conducting a safety hazard risk
assessment as a variety of methods exist that vary according to the circumstance and type of
environment where the assessment is being done. They however all incorporate similar
elements/steps that involve identifying the hazards; evaluating the risks and deciding on
precautions; recording and implementing the findings; and having regular reviews and updates of
the assessment (HSA 1E, 2013). They all as well agree that it is the responsibility of the occupier
of the workplace to have regular risk assessments undertaken, but to involve all the employees as
much as possible in the process, even if an external professional is hired to conduct the
assessment (HSA 1E, 2013).

The following six step approach to conducting a safety hazard risk assessment was developed by
the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA IE, 2006) and is a straightforward approach to
risk assessment and management that incorporates their main elements. It can be considered the
most suitable to use in a Institute work environment as HSA IE (2013); HSA (2003); and
Workcover Corporation (2000) utilize similar steps for undertaking risk assessments in the
hospitality industry.

10
2.4 HEALTH AND SAFETY IN INSTITUTE
According to Buchanan et al (2019) COVID 19 infection rates for Institute workers are almost
40% higher than those in the service sector as a whole. They analysed the rates of OSHA-
reported infections within Institute staffs for a 1 year period (2019-2020), for 4 leading Institute
job categories (housekeepers; cooks/kitchen workers; stewards/dishwashers and banquet
servers). I hey found that 2865 infections will be reported, in which housekeepers had the highest
overall injury rate and the highest rate of musculoskeletal disorders (approximately 7.9 and 3.2
per 100 workers respectively). They also had the highest acute trauma rates along with
cooks/kitchen workers, whereas banquet servers had the lowest injury rates. They concluded that
the reasons why housekeepers are the most vulnerable to injuries is because "cleaning tasks(...)
demand a high level of physical effort, including high aerobic strain and repetitive movements,
high static muscular loads, high frequency of unsatisfactory postures, such as stooping and
crouching, and subjective experience of strenuous work" (Buchanan et al , 2010: 120). However,
this study is limited as it did not consider other vital job roles in a Institute, such as bar/restaurant
servers, reception or office workers, grounds keepers or pool area attendants; and Buchanan et al
(2010) add that there is a high tendency of workers who do not report their injuries especially if
they are non-unionized, immigrants, or politically vulnerable.

The housekeeping department is indeed a job area that is vulnerable to health and safety risks,
especially with the spread of infectious diseases. The housekeepers need to take special care
when handling or cleaning anything that might have had contact with another person's blood or
body fluids; such as razor blades, syringes, sanitary napkins, soiled sheets and towels, vomit or
excreta (HSA, 2019). The substances they use to clean bathrooms, floors and laundry are
potentially dangerous chemicals and may cause dermatitis and chemical burns. Laundry areas
can as well be very damp, humid areas that can lead to health complications, especially with
breathing (HSA IE, 2013). Other job roles that may also be exposed to infectious agents are pool
and health club attendants. These workers are as well in frequent contact with chemicals and so it
is important that only qualified, properly trained and instructed personnel deal with them (HSA
1E, 2013).

The bar/restaurant service areas are as well associated with some hazards. Slips, trips and falls,
along with cuts from broken glass and injuries from manual handling are amongst the most

11
common accidents in bar and restaurant areas; as well as risks from unsafe stacking of cases,
kegs and gas cylinders-which may explode if stored incorrectly. These workers are also
constantly collecting and disposing of waste, and so standards of safety and hygiene are of
utmost importance to avoid putting the health and safety of customers, and other staff at risk
(HSA, 2003; HSA IE, 2013). A unique hazard these workers are exposed to is environmental
tobacco smoke, as they tend to work in close proximity to smokers. Exposure to this smoke can
have mild health implications such as eye irritation to severe ones such as asthma, lung cancer,
pneumonia and other chest infections (HSA, 2003).

Receptionists are as well exposed to health and safety risks. They as well generally spend many
hours using a variety of keyboard and computer equipment which can lead to a range of injuries
caused by overuse, poor posture and poor lighting. Because of the large volumes of people
passing through, a reception area can become dirty and untidy very quickly, from dirty
footprints, sticky finger marks, dust build up (which can affect the health of workers), stray items
left in walkways, or furniture moved out of place which can cause obstruction and therefore
increase risk of accidents. Receptionists as well tend to deal with large volumes of cash, and this
puts them at risk of having COV1D 19 from and infected visitor (HSA, 2019b).

2.5 CHALLENGES IN MANAGING COVID 19 AS A HEALTH AND SAFETY

HAZARD.
Many previous studies on HS have focused mainly on what are considered 'high-risk' industries,
This unfortunately means that little research has been done on the so-called `low-risk' industries,
such as the hospitality industry, as there is a general notion that it has few hazards and risks-
however till, may be the result of the lack of significant research done in this area (Lo, Lamm,
2011: O'Neill, Davis, 2011; Ondieki, 2013). From reviewing literature, this seems to be
especially the case for Africa, as most research and information available on HS in the
hospitality industry have been produced in developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand,
UK and USA (see e.g. Lo, Lamm, 2011; Gibbons, Gibbons, 2011; Buchanan et al, 2010; HSA,
2003;; HSA 1E, 2013). Therefore, there is need to address this issue, especially in Kenya where
tourism is one of the top earners and one of the country's highest employers (KNBS, 2014).

12
Lack of proper reinforcement of law in catering establishment has put risk to staffs in having
COVID 19. Lots of staffs have assumed the measure and rule that are placed by the management
therefore putting the whole Institute at risk. This has become a challenge since the Institute
cannot supervise each and every staff at the moment.

Some Institute lacks proper modern equipment's to manage this COVID 19 pandemic. This has
therefore put all the workers at risk since the disease is not properly contained in the
establishment leading to more infections each day.

13
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents a detailed description of the study methodology. It discusses the study
design, study site, population, sample and sampling techniques, data collection, data analysis,
validity and reliability, limitation and delimitations of the study, presentation of data, ethical
considerations, and dissemination of findings.

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

The overall aim of this study was to carry out an assessment of health and safety on COVID 19
in an Institution work environment, and how they are managed. A case study research design
was employed.

Critics of case studies believe that they are only useful as an exploratory tool; and the intense
focus on a 'case' can lead to biased findings and this therefore can offer no grounds for
establishing reliability or generality of Findings (Soy, 2007; Shuttleworth, 2008). However.
Enthusiasts of the case study approach to enquiry continue to use it to seek real-life situations to
societal problems with the argument that it helps facilitate an understanding of complex real-life
situations. Another key advantage for employing the case study design is that it allows the
researcher to gather data from a variety of sources, and this therefore "ensures that the issue is
not explored through one lens, but rather a variety of lenses which allows for multiple facets of
the phenomenon to be revealed and understood" (Baxter, Jack, 2008: 544).

For this case study, multiple perspectives are gained about the HS issues in an Institution (the
employees' perspectives from the employee survey, the key informants' perspectives from the
key informant interviews and from direct observation). It also allows for a collaboration of
quantitative and qualitative approaches to be used in the study. For example data gathered from
the employee survey and observation checklists are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.
Which in turn supports the qualitative data gathered from the key informant interviews and from
the document review? Therefore, the case study method, with its use of multiple data collection
methods and analysis techniques, provided the researcher with the opportunity to converge the

14
data which helps strengthen the research findings and conclusions (Soy, 2007; Baxter, Jack,
2008).

3.2 LOCATION OF THE STUDY

This study was conducted Eldoret Technical Training Institutein Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu
County, Kenya. Uasin Gishu County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya, located in the former
Rift Valley Province. It lies in the mid-west of the Rift Valley and covers an area of 3,345.2 sq
km. It borders Kericho County to the south, Nandi County to the south west, Bungoma County to
the west, and Trans Nzoia County to the north. Other counties sharing borders with Uasin Gishu
are Elgeyo Marakwet to the east and Baringo to the south east. The city of Eldoret (capital and
largest town in the county) is the county's administrative and commercial centre which is
Kenya's fourth largest town and is about 265km from Nairobi city.

This study area was chosen because first, the county government of Uasin Gishu is trying to
improve the tourism activities in the region and this therefore means that more tourists may want
to visit the region hence the need to ensure provision of quality services. Second, for a long time,
the region has not had very many conventional Institute

3.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND SAMPLE SIZE

3.3.1 Sampling, technique

Purposive sampling technique was used to obtain sample size for an Institution in the study
within Eldoret town which are classified as conventional institution. Conventional Institute are
the Institute that arc fully serviced with dining, accommodation, conference and recreational
facilities without necessarily being rated/classified. Purposive sampling was chosen because this
Institute met the inclusion criteria. Census was used in choosing the food handlers in the study
since the study population was small.

3.3.2 Sample size

All the 40 food handlers in the Eldoret Technical Training Institute will be chosen for the study.
However, 16 questionnaires will be not returned and 4 will he not sufficiently tilled and therefore
will be rejected by the researcher. Therefore a total of 20 respondents from the Institute

15
Participated in the study (by filling in the questionnaires). Letters will be used to represent the
various Institutes under study in order to conceal their identity thereby ensuring anonymity. For
the qualitative data, then Institute will be purposively chosen for observation and ten managers
will be also purposively chosen from the Institute to be interviewed. The managers will be either
the Institute General Managers where applicable or Food and Beverage Managers for the
Institute that did not have General Managers. Once again letters have been used to represent the
managers' identity concerning their responses to the interview questions.

3.4 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

Data collection instrument used included interviews and structured questionnaires. According to
Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias (2018), a researcher can use two or more methods of data
collection to test hypothesis and measure variables to minimize the degree of specificity or
dependence on particular methods that might limit the validity or scope of the findings. In
complement, O'Connor & Gibson (2013) state that findings are more dependable when they can
be confirmed from several independent sources consequently, this study employed several data
collection methods to corroborate the findings.

3.5 RELIABILITY

Reliability is the scientific evidence or verified explanation that a research instrument has
achieved the intended results or outcome of which it was supposed or intended to achieve (Peil
2003). Reliability was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha method to test internal consistency. It
involved a single administration of the instrument; interviews thus yielding greater internal
consistency. A reliability coefficient of 0.70 and above is acceptable as appropriate for this
study. Cronbach alpha is chosen to establish the degree of consistency and accuracy of items in
the questionnaire (Kothari, 2011).

3.6 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

The study used primary data these will be collected through self-administered questionnaires and
interviews. Structured questionnaire consisted of both open ended and closed ended questions
designed to elicit specific responses for qualitative and quantitative analysis respectively. A

16
questionnaire is a useful tool for collecting data from respondents because of the need to provide
a means of expressing their views more openly and clearly.

17
APPENDICIES

APPENDIX I; LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

NAOMI CHEROTICH

ELDORET TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

P.O BOX 3100.

TO,

RE: LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

I am Naomi cherotich a student at Eldoret Technical Training Institute pursuing Certificate in

Science Laboratory Technology.

I am undertaking a research entitle “The impact of Health and Safety for Covid-19 in this
Institution. I am therefore requesting for permission to be allowed to conduct this research in
your establishment. I promise to ensure confidentiality of the institution and the participants.

Participation is voluntary and anyone is free to withdraw at any time, no obligation to answer
questions.

Yours sincerely

Naomi

cherotich

18
APPENDIX II

QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire is designed to obtain information on the IMPACT OF HEALTH AND

SAFETY FOR COVID 19 IN SIRIKWA INSTITUTE IN ELDORET TOWN, KENYA. Your
participation and cooperation in this study will be of great value to the researcher and your
cooperation is appreciated. Your responses will he kept confidential and used only for the
purposes of this study.

SECTION A: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Tick in the box with (x) where appropriate.

1. What is your gender?

Male []

Female []

2. What is your age bracket?

18-30 years []

31-35 years []

36-40 years []

41-45 years []

Over 46 years []

3. What is your education level?

Certificate level []

Diploma level []

Degree level []

Other specify []

19
4. How long have you been a member of this Department?

Less than 3 years [ ]

Between 4-6 years [ ]

Between 7-9 years []

10 years and above [ ]

SECTION B: SAFETY & HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SHMS)

Indicate with either fill in the blank space or with use of (x)

5. Does the Institute have proper health and safety system for Covid 19?

A. Yes [ ] B. No [ ]

If yes, briefly state them …………………………………………………………………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….

6. In your department, have you encountered any COVID 19 incidences in relation to health and
safety hazards?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………….

7. What is the importance of proper health and safety system for Covid-19 in your institution?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

SECTION C: TYPES OF HAZARDS

8. What safety hazards have occurred in your Institute in relation to the above incidence?

20
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….

9. Briefly describe how the incidence occurred.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………….

10. How was the incidence managed? (Please tick one):

(x) The employee returned to his current job in full health

[]

The employee returned to work but was given a different job role [

] The employee did not return to work [ ]

Other (Please Specify): [ ] …………………………………….......................

…………………………………………………………………………………

11. In case a co-worker suffers an injury/illness while working, are you aware of the emergency
procedure to follow?

Yes [ ] No [ ]

12. In the list below of Risk Controls, please tick as many as appropriate that you prefer to be
implemented in the Institute.

Increased cleaning schedules for work areas

More flexibility over choice of shift schedules/time off

Emergency/Safety Procedures to be posted in each work

area

21
13. Briefly state the measures and strategies the Institute has put in place so as to avoid such
incidences.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………..………………

SECTION D: CHALLENGES

14. Are there any challenges in managing health and safety in the Institute? YES [ ] NO [

] If yes, briefly state the challenges………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

15. What has the Institute done about these challenges?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

16. What recommendations can you advice to the management regarding health and safety in the
Institution for Covid-19?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

22