Influence of physical safety climate and safety practices on perceived well-being of informal solid waste collectors

Informal solid waste collectors (ISWCs) play a critical role in urban sanitation in resource-limited nations, yet these workers face hazardous working conditions with minimal safety measures. Like many other workers, ISWCs often lack adequate protection in Ghana, leaving them vulnerable to injuries and poor well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the influence of physical safety climate and safety practices on the well-being of ISWCs in Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Using cross-sectional survey and the census sampling approach, 2271 (93% response rate) ISWCs were recruited for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to measure key variables. Data were analysed using bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regression, in SPSS version 27. Significant positive correlations were found between perceived well-being, physical safety climate (r = 0.512), and safety practices (r = 0.754) of the workers. Regression analysis revealed that physical safety climate and safety practices significantly predicted perceived well-being of the workers, explaining 27.2% variance in worker well-being. Higher safety climate could improve worker well-being (β = 0.595, p < 0.001), while better safety practices, unexpectedly, were linked to lower well-being (β = -0.095, p < 0.001). Age and working hours also affected well-being, though less when accounting for safety climate and safety practices of the workers. The data suggest that enhancing the organisational physical safety climate could improve the well-being of ISWCs in Ghana. However, stricter adherence to safety practices may increase stress and reduce well-being due to the demanding nature of waste collection work, calling for further study.