Towards a Culture of Safety and Quality Excellence: Reflections on Occupational Health and Safety Technical Guidance Activities in Health Facilities

The technical guidance activity for field practice on occupational health and safety (K3) and Facility and Safety Management (MFK) in Health Service Facilities (FASYANKES) organized by the Indonesian Health Facility Accreditation Institute (LAFKI) is an inspiring step. The purpose of this online webinar and field practice is to improve the understanding and skills of health care facilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating K3 and MFK in accordance with applicable accreditation standards.

In this context, Prof. Dr. dr. Julianty Pradono, MS., Sp.Ok (Professor of Malahayati University, Lampung), dr. Agustina Puspitasari, Sp.Ok. SubSp.Bio.KO(K), and dr. Agnes Anastasia S, SH., MH., FIHFAA have made valuable contributions as resource persons in conveying their knowledge and practical experience in the fields of K3 and MFK. With their presence, it is hoped that participants can gain the insights and skills needed to create a safe and quality work environment in health care facilities.

One of the important things in this activity is the effort to build a quality culture in the implementation of K3 and MFK in health facilities. This quality culture is the main foundation in achieving the targets that have been set, such as patient safety, health worker safety, and quality and superior services. Thus, this activity is not only limited to providing technical knowledge, but also creating collective awareness of the importance of maintaining health and safety in the work environment.

Support from the general chairman of LAFKI, Dr. Friedrich Max Rumintjap, Sp.OG (K), MARS, also provided significant additional value to the event. As the leader of the accreditation institution, his presence emphasized LAFKI's commitment to supporting efforts to improve quality and safety in health facilities.

However, in implementing the knowledge and skills obtained from this activity, ongoing efforts are still needed. This is because the challenges in implementing K3 and MFK practices effectively and comprehensively are not easy. Participants need to continuously evaluate and improve the policies and procedures that have been implemented, as well as follow the latest developments in the field of K3 and MFK.

From a theoretical perspective, concepts such as "safety culture" and "continuous quality improvement" are the main focus in carrying out this activity. According to the Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) theory, the formation of a strong safety and quality culture requires commitment from all members of the organization and an effective reward and punishment system to encourage safe and quality behavior. Therefore, the success of the K3 and MFK program in health facilities depends not only on technical knowledge, but also on efforts to change the culture and norms within the organization.

In addition, the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) theory emphasizes the importance of a continuous evaluation and improvement cycle in achieving better quality. In this context, participants are expected to continue to improve their work processes and systems based on the results of evaluations and feedback obtained from the implementation of K3 and MFK in the field.

Empirically, research has shown that work accidents and medical errors can be reduced through the implementation of appropriate K3 and MFK practices. Reason's (1990) study on Human Error emphasized the importance of analyzing systemic factors that cause errors, not just blaming individuals. This is in line with the approach taken in this technical guidance activity, which emphasizes the importance of comprehensive work system planning and evaluation.

Thus, this field practice technical guidance activity on K3 and MFK is not only a forum for exchanging knowledge and experience, but also a concrete step in improving safety and quality of service in health facilities. Through collaboration between practitioners, academics, and regulators, it is hoped that a safer, higher quality, and service-oriented work environment will be created for the community.