Analysis of Health and Safety Practices Affecting the Productivity of HumanResources in the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The apparel industry contributes a significant amount to Sri Lanka`s economy and GDP. It is one of the fastest growing industries in Sri Lanka and it is a major employment generator. As it is relying highly on human capital, the productivity of employees is vital. For higher human resource productivity, there has to be a safe and healthy environment where hazards and accidents are eliminated or minimized. Therefore it is important to identify the health and safety practices which affect the productivity of the human resources. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the significant health and safety practices which affect the productivity of employees. Primary data was obtained through questionnaires. The sample of the study was selected based on judgmental sampling which is a non-probability sampling technique and large scale manufactures were selected. The respondents were team leaders, executives and managers of apparel manufacturers. The sample size was 100. Four independent variables; investments on safety measures, personal protective equipment usage, training workshops and drills and the awareness of the employees were used and employee productivity was the dependent variable. Cronbach`s alpha value of 0.818 was obtained. Factor analysis (Rotated Component Matrix) was carried out using SPSS. Three factors were identified and these three factors explained 78% of the variance of the dependent variable. The research identified three main health and safety practices which affect the productivity of employees; investments on health and safety practices, personal health and protective measurements and action for breach of regulations.