Dentists' Attitude towards Occupational Health and Safety Policies: A cross-sectional study in the Governmental hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and Aims: Dentists are exposing to several occupational hazards during their practices. Effective comprehension of workplace wellness will be optimally effective if it combines dentists’ intervention along with clinical intervention, so Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) policies constructed to enhance dentists’ welfare in the workplace. This study aims to assess the dentists’ attitude towards OHS policies in governmental hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on dentists working in the governmental hospitals in Riyadh using an online self-administered questionnaire include nineteen questions distributed into five dimensions. Results: 200 dentists participate in the study. The results showed that dentists had a negative attitude towards OHS policies with a weighted mean (2.81±0.63), it also showed that OHS dimensions which impact positively the dentists’ attitude were pre-employment screening and training (3.42±0.53, 3.54±0.47) respectively while OHS dimensions that impact negatively the dentists’ attitude were periodic medical examination, vaccination, and work-related conditions (2.98±0.62, 3.31±0.55, 3.10±0.59) respectively. Conclusions: Dentists in governmental hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia had a negative attitude towards OHS policies, so there is a demand to improve the dentists’ adherence to OHS policies through raising awareness and regulations. Also, OHS policies should be enacted and linked to re-contracting and pre-employment to enforce compliance with OHS policies.