The
identification of hazards and the creation of a safe working environment is a
significant challenge for many industries today. As a result, hazard
assessments are carried out in workplaces to detect potentially hazardous
events and conditions that may result in workplace accidents. Gap analysis on
hazard identification and safety management in the workplace was conducted to
highlight the level of incompleteness in recent studies on the subject and the
need to fill in the gaps in future studies. This research, which took place in
both a petrochemical and an oil refining company in Nigeria, identified
industrial hazards and evaluated safety measures in the Nigerian Chemical
Industry (CHI). Data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire
instrument. The research was conducted among chemical industry technical and
management personnel whose day-to-day duties expose them to one or more types
of hazards in the industry. The questionnaire was given to 96 technical and
management staff at the CHI, with 84 (88%) of them completing and returning it.
The study looked at the types of hazards, risk awareness, control measures, and
the efficacy of safety risks and risk management programmes in Nigeria's
chemical industry. The data was analysed using the modified Proportional
Importance Index (PII) and a four-point Likert scale. The top ranking risks in
the chemical industry are loud noise (PII = 3.2; respondents = 92 percent),
working at heights (PII = 3.1; respondents = 89 percent), machine and equipment
vibration (PII = 3.0; respondents = 87 percent), high voltage areas (PII = 2.9;
respondents = 84 percent), and chemical spills (PII = 2.5; respondents = 55
percent). Workers in the industry had a high level of safety hazard awareness
(p 0.05, 95 percent Cl.; PII = 3.1-3.5). Chemical Industry Number 1 (CHI-1)
improved from 87.90 percent to 98.09 percent, and Chemical Industry Number 2
(CHI-2) improved from 81.53 percent to 95.54 percent in terms of worker
understanding of hazard and danger identification and evaluation in the
chemical industries. These hazards endanger workers' safety and should be
efficiently managed to keep associated risks as low as reasonably and
practically possible (ALARPA).
Author (s) Details
G. C. Afube
World Bank Africa Centre of
Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research (ACE-CEFOR), University of Port Harcourt,
Nigeria.
Ify L. Nwaogazie
World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research
(ACE-CEFOR), University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
J. N. Ugbebor
World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research
(ACE-CEFOR), University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
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