Workplace safety and employee productivity of manufacturing firms in Kenya

This study determined the effect of workplace safety on employee productivity in manufacturing firms in Kenya. Moreover, it analysed the relationship between workplace safety programmes (ergonomics, emergency management, safety training, and risk transfer) and employee productivity, measured by productive time, degree of accomplishment of tasks, and value-added. The study was grounded on the domino theory and adopted a cross-sectional survey design guided by positivist research philosophy. A sample of 124 firms distributed across the fourteen sub-sectors in the manufacturing sector was obtained and then selected using a random sampling method. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the target respondents, 124 heads of human resources. Multiple regression results established that each workplace safety variable, workplace safety ergonomics, emergency management, safety training, and safety transfer statistically affects employees’ productive time, value-added, and degree of accomplishment of tasks. The study provides practical and epistemological insights into designing pertinent workplace safety programmes and their effect on employees’ productivity. Future research should address employees’ safety attitudes that lead to varying workplace safety and productivity using alternative statistical techniques such as longitudinal research design.