Occupational hazard incident reporting systems in health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol

Introduction

Occupational hazards (OH) in healthcare facilities are common, with 1 in 10 healthcare workers experiencing a hazard each year. These hazards can be either biological, chemical, ergonomic, or radiation. Despite their occurrence, reporting of these hazards remains limited, with very little information available, especially from healthcare facilities. Also, there is limited information on incident reporting systems (IRSs), which can help capture, track, and monitor the occurrence of these hazards within health facilities. The absence of these systems results in inaccurate and incomplete reporting and fragmented data, hindering the implementation of effective occupational safety measures in hospitals. This review will explore the extent and nature of information available on occupational hazard incident reporting systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.