RESEARCH PROPOSAL PRESENTATION

GROUP D.2.2 – BATCH 33 – FACULTY OF MEDICINE – UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA

Effects of health and safety practices of sanitation workers at the Colombo

North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
INTRODUCTION

 Sanitation workers play a vital role in maintaining hygiene and cleanliness within our communities. However, they
often face risks due to inadequate protective gear and a lack of education on safety practices.
 In developing countries like Sri Lanka, the allocation of resources towards sanitation worker safety is insufficient,
exacerbating the risks they face and creating gaps in hygiene education. (Tolera et al., 2023)
 This research aims to evaluate how well current practices among sanitation workers align with legal requirements
and professional standards. By identifying areas for improvement or success, practical recommendations can be
made to enhance compliance and standards. (Magnavita et al., 2022)
 Inadequate protection for sanitation workers can lead to various health problems, impacting not only the workers
themselves but also their families' well-being and financial stability. This study seeks to address these issues by
evaluating current health and safety practices among sanitation workers in Sri Lanka and identifying areas in need
of improvement. (Arora et al., 2022)
JUSTIFICATION

 Investigating health and safety practices among sanitation workers at hospitals is essential for worker well-being,
public health, and legal compliance. Sanitation workers face health risks due to their demanding tasks, impacting
hygiene maintenance crucial for patient outcomes. Understanding these practices ensures compliance with labor
regulations and ethical responsibilities towards worker protection, safeguarding both workers and patients.
(Capoor & Bhowmik, 2017)
 Improving health and safety practices for sanitation workers not only boosts morale and retention but also
enhances productivity. Addressing concerns and implementing safety measures promotes a safer workplace and
reduces healthcare expenses, compensation claims, and productivity losses. Additionally, closing the knowledge
gap on sanitation workers' health and safety practices in Sri Lanka contributes to evidence-based interventions and
overall workplace improvement. (Alam et al., 2022)
OBJECTIVES

 General Objective
 To evaluate the health and safety practices of sanitation workers at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital

 Specific Objectives
 To describe the common health and safety practices among sanitary workers at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Sri
Lanka.
 To evaluate the factors contributing to current health and safety practices among sanitary workers at the Colombo North
Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka.
 To evaluate the effects of current health and safety practices on individual and family health.
METHODOLOGY

 Study design:
 A cross-sectional analytical study will be conducted.
 Study setting:
 The study would be conducted in the Colombo North Teaching Hospital
 Population:

Sanitation workers working in the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
 Inclusion criteria:

 All sanitation workers working in the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
 Exclusion criteria:
 Mentally incapacitated sanitation workers and workers under 18 years of age will be excluded from the study.
 METHODOLOGY CONTD.
 Sample size calculation

 Desired confidence interval=95% , Z value is 1.96

 P value=50%=0.5, Desired precision (d) =0.05
N= (1.96)² * 0.5(1-0.5) / (0.05)² =384.16

 Adjust sample size to the required population

S=n/ 1+[(n-1)/population]

 S=Adjusted sample size, n=Sample size for infinite population (349.58)

Assuming non response rate of 10%,
Sample size= 384.16 X 110/100 = 422.58 = 423
METHODOLOGY CONTD.

 Data collection method

 Data will be collected from the volunteering participants using an interview administered questionnaire adopted
from (Ullum et al., 2024). Each group member will be responsible for explaining the items and obtaining the
responses for each item of the questionnaire. The questionnaire will be filled by the research group member during
this process.

 Data analysis
 Data will be validated and cleaned and if found incorrect will be promptly corrected. Data analysis will be conducted
using SPSS software.
 The descriptive statistics of the studied sample will be presented as a mean, standard deviation, frequency, and
percentage for variables related to awareness levels.
ETHICAL & ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS

 Ethics clearance
 Ethical clearance will be obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya.

 Consent and autonomy

 Participants will be provided with clear and detailed information about the study, including its purpose, the objectives and
procedures. Written consent will be taken before collecting data.

 Privacy and confidentiality

 To maintain privacy and confidentiality, all the data will be collected from the participants anonymously and will be used
only for research purposes.

 Risk/Benefits
 There is no risk to participants in participating in this study, and the research benefits them by increasing health of
sanitation workers at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
BUDGET

 Since the research will be done through free-to-use survey tools, there will be no significant expenses.
Other necessary expenses will be self-funded. (Printing cost of documents)

Consent & information sheet printing 3000LKR

Miscellaneous 1500LKR
TIMELINE
2024 2025

March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Submitting the draft research
protocol to the Dept. of Public
Health
Submitting the research protocol
for ethical approval

Obtaining ethics approval

Completion of data collection

and entry

Data analysis

Submitting database to the Dept

of Public Health

Submitting draft poster to

supervisors

Submitting draft research report

to supervisors

Submitting the final research

report to the Dept of Public
Health
REFERENCES

 Tolera, S. T., Temesgen, S., Endalew, S. M., Alamirew, T. S., & Temesgen, L. M. (2023, December 19). Global systematic review of occupational
health and safety outcomes among sanitation and hygiene workers. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1304977
 Magnavita, N., Chiorri, C., Maran, D. A., Garbarino, S., Di Prinzio, R. R., Gasbarri, M., Matera, C., Cerrina, A., Gabriele, M., & Labella, M.
(2022, August 8). Organizational Justice and Health: A Survey in Hospital Workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159739
 Arora, M., Dringus, S., Bahl, D., Rizvi, Z., Maity, H., Lama, S. D., Mason-Jones, A. J., Kumar, D., Koul, P., & Bassi, S. (2022, September 21).
Engagement of health workers and peer educators from the National Adolescent Health Programme-Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a situational analysis. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266758
 Capoor, M. R., & Bhowmik, K. (2017, April 1). Current Perspectives on Biomedical Waste Management: Rules, Conventions and Treatment
Technologies. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmm.ijmm_17_138
 Alam, M. U., Sharior, F., Shoaib, D. M., Hasan, M., Tabassum, K. F., Ferdous, S., Hasan, M., Rahman, M., Tidwell, J. B., Zaqout, M., Farah, M.,
Rahman, M., Ahmed, A., & Ahmed, T. (2022, December 1). Hygiene knowledge and practices and determinants of occupational safety among
waste and sanitation workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hygiene and Environmental Health Advances.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heha.2022.100022
 Ullum, A. G., Sedeh, F. B., Jemec, G. B. E., & Ibler, K. S. (2024, March 19). Professional Cleaners’ and Healthcare Workers’ Ability to
Recognize Hand Eczema. Acta Dermato-venereologica. https://doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v104.27985
Thank You