The Impact of The Implementation of Digital Tools on Occupational Safety and Health Compliance

Abstract

This study is uniquely deviating from previous studies and focused on the impact of digital transformation on OSH compliance in the context of the mining sector in developing country. The study gains its weight in the country like Tanzania where occupational risks in mining sector are a major concern coupled with paucity of empirical evidence regarding the way forward. The study findings extend the knowledge frontier to the understanding of extent to which digital tools can greatly improve OSH compliance especially when they are effectively implemented with a more holistic approach.

This study deployed a quantitative approach with a crossectional survey desing in which case data were collected across the randomly selected major mines from different sources. Primary data were collected using online surveys from 198 top managemnt and 586 employees who were proportionately randomly selected. Secondary data were collected from official documents and previous studies. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in term of frequencies, percentages, and composite means scores generated by R version 4.3.2.

The study found that implementation level of safety digital tools impacts OSH compliance positively [Average Marginal Effect (AME) = 0.3336, p-value<0.001; 95% CI = 0.323 - 0.344]. Other factors include training effectiveness [AME = 0.0175, p-value<0.001; 95% CI = 0.0114 - 0.0235], and the usage of digital tools [AME = 0.149, p-value<0.001; 95% CI = 0.141 - 0.156]. Higher potential is subject to the adressing of financial constraints, ill-commitment, technical limitations, the lack of employee digital skills, and lack of OSH subcommittees.