Employee Performance and OHS: A Study at DSL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, 2017

This project report, submitted in 2017 by D.M.G. Madhushani from the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, examines the impact of occupational health and safety (OHS) on the performance of bottom-level employees at DSL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a manufacturing company. The research investigates the relationship between physical health, physical safety, mental health, and job performance. The study employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 100 production employees using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed a positive correlation between occupational health and safety and employee performance. The report includes an abstract, literature review, research methodology, data analysis, and conclusions with recommendations for improving employee health and safety in the workplace. The research highlights the importance of both employer and employee involvement in fostering a safe and healthy work environment to enhance productivity and employee well-being, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

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THE STUDY OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ON
BOTTOM LEVEL EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCE
(WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DSL LANKA (PVT) LTD
BY
DISSANAYAKA MUDIYANSELAGE GIMARA MADHUSHANI
TC/IS/2011/MS/13
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND BUSINESS STUDIES
TRINCOMALEE CAMPUS
EASTERN UNIVERSITY
SRI LANKA
2017

CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that Project Report Titled,
THE STUDY OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ON BOTTOM LEVEL
EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCE
(With special reference to DSL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd)
By:
Ms. D.M.G.Madhushani
TC/IS/2011/MS/13
This has been accepted by the Department of Business and Management Studies, Faculty of
Communication and Business Studies, Trincomalee Campus, Eastern University, Sri Lanka as a
partial fulfillment of special degree of Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management.
Supervisor:………………………………. Date:…………………………..
Examiner:………………………………… Date:…………………………..
Dean:………………………………………. Date:…………………………..
Head:……………………………………… Date:…………………………..

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ACKNOWLEDGEMNT
First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr.V.Kanagasingam, Rector, Trincomalee
campus, Eastern University Sri Lanka, Mrs. S.Kumuthinidevi Dean of the Faculty of
Communication and Business Studies.
Especially I express my heartily thank to Mrs. S.Priyadharsan my supervisor and Head of the
department of Business and Management Studies who encourage, Supervise and support from
the initial stage to the final stage of this study.
Finally, I wish to avail myself of this opportunity, to express a sense of gratitude and love to
my beloved parent and my friends for their dedication, strength, support me for everything.
Researcher

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Contents
Acknowledgemnt ......................................................................................................................................... i
Content………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...ii
Table Of Content ........................................................................................................................................ v
Figures Of Content ................................................................................................................................... vi
Chapter I....................................................................................................................................................7
1.1Background Of The Research ............................................................................................................... 8
1.2Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………………………...10
1.3 Research Questions ............................................................................................................................ 13
1.4. Objectives Of The Study................................................................................................................... 13
1.5 Significance Of The Study ................................................................................................................. 13
1.6 Limitations Of The Study .................................................................................................................. 14
1.7 Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Chapter II ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Literature Review .................................................................................................................................... 15
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 15
2.2 Introduction To Occupational Health And Safety ............................................................................. 15
2.3 Legal Context Of Occupational Health And Safety In Sri Lanka ...................................................... 16
2.4 Introduction To Job Performance ...................................................................................................... 17
2.4.1 Traits ............................................................................................................................................... 18
2.4.2 Behavior .......................................................................................................................................... 18
2.4.3 Result .............................................................................................................................................. 18
2.5. Measurements Of Job Performance………………………………………………………………...19
2.6. Physical Health……………………………………………………………………………………..19
2.6.1. Introduction To Physical Health……………………………………………………………….....19
2.6.2 Physical Health Issues In The Work Place………………………………………………………..20
2.6.3. Physical Health And Job Performance .......................................................................................... 21
2.6.3.1 Respiratory Symptoms ................................................................................................................. 21
2.6.3.2 Muscular Symptoms .................................................................................................................... 22
2.7.PhysicalSafety……………………………………………………………………………………….22
2.7.1. Introduction To Physical Safety…………………………………………………………………..22
2.7.2 Personal Protective Equipment ....................................................................................................... 23
2.7.3 Fire Safety ....................................................................................................................................... 23
2.7.4 Chemical Safety .............................................................................................................................. 23
2.7.5. Physical Safety Issues In The Work Place………………………………………………………..23
2.7.6. Physical Safety And Job Performance……………………………………………………………25
2.8 Mental Health……………………………………………………………………………………….25

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2.8.1 Introduction To Mental Health……………………………………………………………………25
2.8.2. Mental Health Issues In The Work Place ...................................................................................... 26
2.8.2.1 Depression ................................................................................................................................... 27
2.8.2.2 Anxiety ........................................................................................................................................ 28
2.8.2.3 Life Satisfaction ........................................................................................................................... 28
2.8.3. Mental Health And Job Performance……………………………………………………………..28
2.9 Occupational Health And Safety And Job Performance .................................................................... 29
2.10 Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 31
Chapter III ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Research Methodology And Conceptual Framework .............................................................................. 32
3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….32
3.2ConceptualFramework ........................................................................................................................ 32
3.3 Operationalization Of The Variables ................................................................................................. 33
3.3.1 Dependent Variable ....................................................................................................................... 33
Job Performance ...................................................................................................................................... 33
Traits ........................................................................................................................................................ 33
Behaviour ................................................................................................................................................. 33
Result ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
3.3.2 Independent Variable ...................................................................................................................... 33
3.3.2.1 Physical Health…………………………………………………………………………………..33
3.3.2.2 Respiratory Symptoms ................................................................................................................. 34
Muscular Symptoms ................................................................................................................................ 34
3.3.2.2 Physical Safety ............................................................................................................................. 34
Personal Protective Equipment ................................................................................................................ 34
First Aid ................................................................................................................................................... 34
Chemical Safety ....................................................................................................................................... 34
3.3.2.3 Mental Health .............................................................................................................................. 35
Depression ............................................................................................................................................... 35
Anxiety .................................................................................................................................................... 35
Life Satisfaction ....................................................................................................................................... 35
3.4. Research Design ............................................................................................................................... 36
3.5. Population ......................................................................................................................................... 36
3.6. Sample .............................................................................................................................................. 36
................................................................................................................................................................. 36
6.3 Data Collection .................................................................................................................................. 36
Primary Data ............................................................................................................................................ 36
3.7.Secondary Data .................................................................................................................................. 37

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3.8.Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 37
3.9. Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 37
Chapter IV .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Data Representation And Analysis .......................................................................................................... 38
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 38
4.2. Demographic Information ................................................................................................................. 38
4.2.1 Service Period ................................................................................................................................. 38
4.2.2 Gender ............................................................................................................................................. 39
4.2.3 Age .................................................................................................................................................. 39
4.2.4 Educational Level ........................................................................................................................... 40
4.3 Descriptive Analysis Of Research Information ................................................................................. 41
4.4. Bivariate Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………..42
4.4.1 Physical Health And Job Performance ........................................................................................... 42
4.4.3 Mental Health And Job Performance .............................................................................................. 43
4.7 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................... 44
4.8. Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………46
Chapter V ............................................................................................................................................... 48
Conclusion And Recommendation .......................................................................................................... 48
5.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………48
5.2. Finding Of The Study……………………………………………………………………………….48
5.2.1conclusion Of The First Objective ................................................................................................... 48
5.2.2 Conclusion Of The Second Objective............................................................................................. 48
5.2.3 Conclusion Of The Third Objective ............................................................................................... 49
5.2.4 Conclusion To The Fourth Objective ............................................................................................. 49
5.3. Recommendations And Implications……………………………………………………………….49
5.4. Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………52
Appendix.................................................................................................................................................. 53
Research Questionnaire ........................................................................................................................... 53
Reference ................................................................................................................................................. 58

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Table of Content
1.1 Health hazards that are faced by DSL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd…………………………………..11
3.1 Operationalization of variables……………………………………………………………34
3.2 Sample Table………………………………………………………………………………35
4.1 Decision Rule of mean value variance…………………………………………………….40
4.2 Decision criteria to correlation analysis……………………………………………………40
4.3 Mean and Standard deviation of variables…………………………………………………40
4.4 correlations Analysis of Variables………………………………………………………….41
4.5 Correlation Analysis of occupational health and safety
and job performance……………………………………………………………………...42
4.6 Model summary ……………………………………………………………………………42

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Figures of Content
2.1 Path way to productivity……………………………………………………………….29
3.2 Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………………31
4.1 Service Period…………………………………………………………………………..37
4.2 Gender………………………………………………………………………………….38
4.3 Age……………………………………………………………………………………..38
4.4 Educational Qualifications……………………………………………………………..39
4.5 Sections………………………………………………………………………………....39

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ABSTRACT
As a significant determinant of job performance of an employee, this will study occupational
health and safety on job performance of bottom level employees at DSL Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. This
research study attempts to study on occupational health & safety on job performance of
production employees. Thus the research problem of this study was; “Do the occupational
health & safety have significant impact on job performance of bottom level employees in DSL
Lanka (pvt) Ltd”. Conceptual frame work consists of three independent variables. They are
Physical Health, Physical Safety, and Mental Health. Dependent variable is job performance.
The data were collected from a stratified sample of 100 production employees in the DSL
Lanka (Pvt) Ltd with a structured questionnaire consists of 24 questions with five point Likert
scales. Descriptive analysis use to find out mean and standard deviation. And moreover to find
out the relationship bivariate analysis was used. According to the finding of the study
occupational Health and Safety has positive relationship with Bottom level employee’s
performance. Hence it is important to get actions to improve employee health and safety in the
works setting. The responsibility of achieving safety and healthy work place is not only
employer responsibility, both employer and employee actively participate for that implication
activities, employees participatory approach to improve occupational health and safety has
considered as the most successful practice in current occasion.

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CHAPTER I
1.1 Background of the Research
In the present economy all most all organizations are expected to do more with fewer resources
due to globalization and dynamic changes in the environment. Therefore organizations are
very keen to manage its human resource efficiently and effectively. According to (Kottawatta,
2007) has mentioned based on (Opatha 2010), Human Resource management has become one
of the most important functions of an organization since it deals with efficient and effective
utilization of human resource to achieve goals of the organization. In the manufacturing
industry it has add more value on human resource because man power is the most valuable
resource they ever had. Current industries have changed with modern technology and
automation systems and there have been latest dramatic adoptions that organizations must
follow to win competitive advantage within the industry. Even though technology had attacked
to the value of human resource for a certain extent but the reality is without having competent,
workaholic workforce organizations cannot be success. Hence it is really important to pay your
attention on human resource in the organization. Human is the most critical resource as well as
most worth full resource to operate and continue business process in manufacturing and
service sectors.
This project report is highly focused on DSL Lanka (Pvt) and it also a manufacturing
company. How these organizations can gain greater level employee performance through
well-organized health and safety conditions. Accidents, Hazards, injuries are commonly occur
in organizational operations, particularly in many manufacturing companies (Katsuro,
Gadzirayi, M., and Mupararano, 2010). In Sri Lanka there are very few companies who have
full automated manufacturing firms. The highest proportion of firms are still using labor or
man power category to operate their business activities. Hence it is management responsibility
to work done through by them an ethical manner instead of exploitation employee mental and
physical effort. Because of wellbeing of the organization is highly depending on wellbeing of
their employees, specifically in manufacturing sector. Employments in manufacturing firm can
be categorized in to three groups; “Management and Technical” workforce, “Skilled”
workforce and “Semi-skilled” workforce and generally all type of employees are at risk of
being injured, death or various illnesses in a manufacturing workstation, although the level of
risk varies with activities they are engaged in (Vitharana, Silva, and Silva, 2015).

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Activities of the production process are inseparable from the use of machines. This put a
burden on an employee to be able to use these machines with care to prevent the occurrences
of error in running the machines that could cause accidents. Nevertheless, not only that the
feasibility of the engine must be considered, but also the environment surrounding the location
in which the process of production occurs. When these things are not addressed, then it does
not cover the possibility that employees would experience accidents during the production
process. These facts alone put a company to preserved and maintained occupational Health &
Safety (OHS) to be in the center of their attention ( Yusuf, Eliyana, and Sari, 2012). The
importance of Occupational Health and Safety in manufacturing industry is inevitable,
especially on their production staff to provide security and comfort that could lead to
employees’ job satisfaction and could improve their employee performance (Yusuf, Eliyana
and Sari 2012).
Dimoff, JK, Kelloway, EK, & MacLellan 2014, suggested that performance on the job is higher
when employees are obviously physically and emotionally able to work and have desire to work.
This leads to reduced absenteeism and job dissatisfaction but improved performance. Improving
worker productivity, occupational health and safety are major concerns of manufacturing industry,
especially in developing countries.
One of the major problems of manufacture companies is focusing on improving worker
productivity as a measure of job performance. Some shared characteristics of such companies
include high workloads, adverse environment, ill designed human machine systems and
unpleasant working conditions etc. High workloads and such workplace conditions as excessive
hot/cold, chemical smell, noise, bad lighting, vibration and dust have direct and indirect
influence in job performance of workers. Such conditions decrease the worker concentration
towards duties, lead to lower worker performance such as low productivity, poor quality and
physical and emotional stress and results in high cost. ( Yusuf, Eliyana, and Sari,
2012).Promoting occupational health and safety in the workplace improves employee health,
wellbeing, enhances productivity and therefore the success of organizations (Ashraf &
Sawaqed, 2003).
Occupational health and safety is broader concept and employer and employee both should
have proper understand about what is really mean by health and safety in their workplace.
Differences between employers’ and employees’ understanding of workplace health were
apparent. For employers a strong focus on Occupational Health and Safety was evident, with

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employers citing policies and procedures to maintain personal safety and avoid injury
(Vitharana, Silva, and Silva,
2015).Employees aware about what their rights and responsibilities and it is very important to
pay attention to employees’ open ideas relate to occupational health and safety to develop more
success and practical solutions to problems which arise due to health and safety issues.
1.2 Problem Statement
According to Saeed, et al.(2013) , there are many factors affecting to employee performance.
These variables include manager’s attitude, organizational culture, and personal problems, job
content and financial rewards.Yusuf, Eliyana, and Sari (2012), has citaded ANDI Yogyakarta
(2008) and mentioned that Human Resource is the most important component in the company
and in the implementation of the production process, therefore company should pay attention to
maintaining occupational Health and safety. Yusuf, Eliyana, and Sari, 2012 has mentioned in
their article, most food industries aim at maximum productivity from their workforce and
equipment. There are however, a number of occupational infections and injuries affecting staff
in the production departments at food factories. Further it has mentioned that duration of person
employment in an unpleasant environment increases, his/her fitness is leading to reduce the
employee performance. As this article mentioned employee performance get affected due to
health and safety issues. My point of view is that according to Yusuf, Eliyana, and Sari
occuaptional inspections and injuries has affected to staff productivity.Although he gave this
idea by using food production industry , It is relevent to DSL lanka (pvt) Ltd also. Because
both are production companies and those matters may common to DSL Lanka too.
DSL Lanka is a toy manufacturing company and it has various sections. Rubber, Sewing,
Stuffing, Cutting, Embroidery are some of them. In Rubber section it has Molding, Trimering,
pouring, spraying and grinding sections. In this section they have to work with rubber and
chemicals. It is difficult for employee to work continuously because it may cause for various
illnesses. Most of the employees palm was cracks. There are 90 workers at Rubber section and
57 employees have palm crakes according to the details gained from company nurse.
Employees who are working at grinding section are affected from dust. During past three
months among 90 workers 19 employees got transfers to another sections due to allergic of
dust. If so when employee palms were cracks, their efficiency will reduce. Because they can’t
work as they were worked earlier. Then their performance will reduce. In every month,
according to their efficiency they will receive incentives. As their performance reduced their