Work-Related Traumatic Injury in the Paper-Producing Industry in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, Oku- Iboku, Akwa Ibom State

Abstract

Introduction: This research aimed to determine the characteristics of work-related traumatic injuries in a paper-producing company over a 12-month period, as a case study of the traumatic injury picture in the industry in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal descriptive study using a structured questionnaire to collect information from permanent employees of the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, upon presentation to the Company Medical Service. The identification number of each affected employee was noted. All traumatic injuries sustained by employees while on duty were examined, classified and coded following the World Health Organisation’s guidelines. Data gathered were analysed using tables and percentages. The chi-square test was employed in the comparison of the burden of injury in the two major divisions of the Company with the level of statistical significance set at 0.05. Results: Affected workers were all males with a mean age of 32.14±3.23 years. The Crude Incidence rate of severe injury for the whole Company was 50.7 injuries per 1000 employees, and the Specific Incidence rate for the producing divisions of the Company was 71.7 injuries per 1000 employees. The majority of cases were superficial traumatic injuries (65.1%) requiring only first-aid care and the leading cause of severe injury in forest work was “struck by falling object” (22.86%), while “contact with powered hand tool”, the chainsaw (15.50%) was commonest equipment in causation of severe traumatic injury. The burden of Injury in the Forestry division was statistically significant over that in Operations division of the Company (p< 0.05). Conclusion: This study recommends the opening of a National work-related Injury register in Nigeria, for the ease of tracking such injuries in workplaces in the country. Family Physicians are enjoined to work together with the few occupational health physicians to strengthen industrial safety in the emerging factories nationally.