Exposure to Occupational Risks and Labour Productivity in Africa: An Empirical Investigation From 1992 to 2021

Exposure to occupational risks constitutes one of the major public health concerns in the world. Nonetheless, very little attention has been paid towards improving safety in the workplace by employers, probably because, the direct losses associated with occupational risks (including reduction in labour productivity) are not widely known, especially across African countries. This study therefore sets out to investigate the association between occupational risks and labour productivity across African countries.

The study uses secondary data on 42 countries in Africa over the period 1992 to 2021. Labour productivity is measured as output per worker while 5 indicators are used to measure occupational risk - occupational exposure to (i) noise, (ii) asthmagens, (iii) particulate matter, gases, and fumes, (iv) carcinogens, and (v) ergonomic factors. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression using Driscoll and Kraay (DK) standard errors is used as the baseline estimation technique while the system Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) regression is employed for robustness purposes.

Employing the baseline estimator, the study finds that a percentage increase in exposure to noise, asthmagens, particulate matter, gases and fumes, carcinogens and ergonomic factors at the workplace is associated with a decrease in labour productivity by 2.51%, 1.62%, 2.16%, 1.61%, and 1.24%, respectively at 1% level of significance. The estimates from the system GMM are not qualitatively different.

There is a need to invest in occupational health as well as enforce related regulations to decrease the significant labour productivity losses associated with occupational risks in Africa.