Occupational health and safety management policies and employee quality of life in developing countries: Insights from Ghana

Abstract

AbstractThis study explores the formulation and implementation of occupational health and safety management (OHSM) policies by multinational manufacturing firms operating in sub‐Saharan Africa and how they influence employees' quality of life (QOL). We used Afrifoods (pseudonym), a food manufacturing multinational company in Ghana as a case. Gathering qualitative data through interviews, focus group discussions, and archival sources, we found that despite the prevailing institutional deficiencies in sub‐Saharan African countries especially in ensuring the implementation of health and safety policies, food manufacturing multinational companies formulate and implement health and safety policies. And, the high rates of unemployment notwithstanding, employees of manufacturing companies prioritize safe and healthy working environment and consider it the first and most important attribute of their QOL. Employees also consider being able to provide their family needs as well as being recognized for the efforts expended at work as other determinants of their QOL. Multinational firms operating or intending to go into sub‐Saharan Africa should consider health and safety policies as indispensable in their business strategy formulation, if they wish to get the maximum benefit from their employees. Governments must also intensify monitoring to ensure firms' compliance with national health and safety laws at their work sites.