Perceived Health Effects from Exposure to Occupational Hazards and Safety Practices Among Industrial Cleaners in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria
Keywords:
Industrial cleaners, Health effects, Exposure, Hazards, Safety practicesAbstract
This study aimed to assess the health effects of exposure to occupational hazards and safety practices among industrial cleaners in Port Harcourt metropolis. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The population consisted of all industrial cleaners in the Port Harcourt metropolis. A sample size of 593 was selected using a multistage sampling method. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to get data from workers on the perceived health effects and the safety practices. The questionnaire had a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.1 was used to analyze the data generated from the study. Specifically, means and standard deviations were used to analyze the health effects the workers were exposed to and safety practices. The result showed a moderate effect of hazard exposure on the health of industrial cleaners in Port Harcourt, with a mean rating of 2.59±1.074; the industrial cleaners had poor safety practices (2.47±1.163). The findings also showed a significant difference in the practice of safety based on age and level of education (p<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the practice of safety based on gender and marital status (p>0.05). The study concluded that industrial cleaners are moderately exposed to health effects occasioned by exposure to hazards in the work environment. Most common among these health effects are back pain, skin problem and breathing difficulties; also, industrial cleaners have poor safety practices. The study recommended that the state government should mandate companies to enforce safety practices for all workers without exception, to improve the safety practices of industrial cleaners
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