Knowledge, attitude and adherence to biosafety practices among clinicians of tertiary hospitals in Ghana

Abstract

Biosafety concept in laboratory practice is of utmost importance which demands much attention always because of the daily exposure of clinical laboratory staffs to toxic hazards. Thus, there must be a continuous and cooperative effort on the part of laboratories and other departments of the health facilities to ensure that their testing procedures are safe. This study aims to assess the knowledge of clinical staffs in the four major teaching hospitals in Ghana. Methodology: The aim of the study was achieved by using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 105 participants were involved in the study (69 were males, 36 were females). About 86.7% of the participants had a bachelor’s degree, 70% have had a biosafety training, Majority of the laboratory staffs agreed that following the biosafety guidelines was for their safety; 93.3% agreed that infectious materials should be decontaminated before disposed into containers, 83.3 agreed that needles should be recapped before disposing into containers. Regarding leadership qualities; 84.8% always reported accidents near miss in the laboratory, a little above half (58.1%) ensured others follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), 55.2% of participants always reported new medical conditions. Concerning the safety of the facility, most of the laboratories complied with standard safety measures. However, some of the clinicians practice practiced bad laboratory behavior such as eating in the lab and mouth pippeting which can be attributed to inadequate experience. Conclusion: The majority of sample showed good laboratory practices, nevertheless, some showed bad behaviors that are not accepted and need intervention