Evaluation of occupational health services and hazards in a car assembly plant in Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The provision of occupational health services in most industries of the developing world has been very rudimentary. Various factors have been adduced to be responsible for this, none availability of protective devices, non-compliance by workers and managerial problems among others. Therefore this study was conducted to evaluate occupational hazards and the provision of occupational health services at Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Kaduna. Aim: To assess the extent of occupational hazards and the occupational health services provided by the industry (PAN). Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study in which cluster sampling technique was used to sample respondents. Structured, interviewer administered questionnaires with close ended questions were used to collect data. Results: One hundred and ten respondents participated in the study with a mean age of 32.7±2.8 years. Use of protective devices by respondents was: boots 96.3%, hand gloves 100%, and ear plugs 58% respectively. Pattern of occupational hazards were: exposure to chemical fumes 6.4%, noise pollution 40.9%, and chemical burns 9.1% respectively. Conclusion: Occupational hazards and injuries among PAN workers are a frequent occurrence. There is need for sustained public awareness campaigns among the workers and management on the importance of occupational safety to guide against injuries/ accidents at work sites and compliance to the use of protective devices. It is also recommended that the Inspectorate Division of Federal Ministry of Industries should pay periodic monitoring visits to industries in order to ensure a conducive and a safe working environment and also with the facility Act and related laws so as to curtail the rate of accidents and injures in Nigerian industries. Key words: Occupational health services, Occupational hazards and Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) PLC