RATE OF ERGONOMICS HAZARD CONTROL MEASURES INCORPORATION INTO SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the level of ergonomics inclusions into small-scale industries (SSI) in Southwest Nigeria. The objective was to find out the type of ergonomics control measures (ECM) put in place to enhance occupational and health safety of workers. Machine hazard and safety checklists were used to carry out assessment of hazards control level of different machineries in 121 SSI. By observation, scores were assigned by research personnel team (RPT) to safety levels under engineering, administrative and personal protective measures of all operational machines and the workplace designs. Questionnaire was completed among 345 workers to measure occupation hazard (past or present) among the workers and various ECM adopted by the administrators and/or the workers to prevent injuries. SPSS version 16.0, was used to analyze the recorded data. 50.2% of all SSI were rated poor (insufficient HCM). Sandcrete block industry (SCBI) had the worse percentage (90.4%). 19.2% used engineering, 18.3% engaged personal protective while 10.2% used administrative measures. However, 1.6% used the combined measures. The mean of the rated SSI with poor ECM programme by RPT are significantly not different from that reported by SSI employees (t(24) =-0.563, p = 0.579). SCBI workers had the highest percentage (17.2%) of the reported work related injuries followed by printing press (17%), welding and/or metal cutting workshops (16.7%). The study concluded that ECM inclusion into SSI operations is very low and this may have lead to the high reported ergonomics hazards among the group of workers.