Formulation and Validation of tool to assess the exposure of occupational health hazards

Abstract

Background: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) risk assessment is critical for improving worker safety by identifying and controlling high-risk hazards in the workplace. Objectives: This study developed and validated a tool specifically designed to assess occupational health hazards among fishermen, Methodology: involving three key steps: conceptualization, expert judgment and content validity determination. Structured with four domains: physical, ergonomic, environmental and psychological. Results: A pilot study with 50 fishermen yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.710, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The tool’s content validity was confirmed by fifteen subject experts, with an overall Content Validity Ratio (CVR) above the acceptable threshold of 0.49. Each domain demonstrated high relevance, achieving an item Level- Content Validity Index (I-CVI) of 0.95, kappa value of zero, one and an overall Scale - Content Validity Index (S-CVI) of 0.93, underscoring its robustness. Four components were identified through principle component analysis with keiser normalization of 0.653. The cumulation variance of 76 percent provides suitability of retention. Conclusion: This tool effectively represents key elements of occupational health hazards for fishermen and can be complemented with additional questionnaires for comprehensive data collection in the fishing sector.