Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria
Background: The manufacture of paint involves a variety of processes that present with medical hazards. Safety initiatives are hence introduced to limit hazard exposures and promote workplace safety. This aim of this study is to assess the use of available control measures/initiatives in selected pa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2014-06-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791114000079 |
| _version_ | 1797706332829122560 |
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| author | Olufunsho Awodele Temidayo D. Popoola Bawo S. Ogbudu Akin Akinyede Herbert A.B. Coker Alade Akintonwa |
| author_facet | Olufunsho Awodele Temidayo D. Popoola Bawo S. Ogbudu Akin Akinyede Herbert A.B. Coker Alade Akintonwa |
| author_sort | Olufunsho Awodele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The manufacture of paint involves a variety of processes that present with medical hazards. Safety initiatives are hence introduced to limit hazard exposures and promote workplace safety. This aim of this study is to assess the use of available control measures/initiatives in selected paint factories in Lagos West Senatorial District, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 400 randomly selected paint factory workers were involved in the study. A well-structured World Health Organization standard questionnaire was designed and distributed to the workers to elicit information on awareness to occupational hazards, use of personal protective devices, and commonly experienced adverse symptoms. Urine samples were obtained from 50 workers randomly selected from these 400 participants, and the concentrations of the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy.
Results: The results show that 72.5% of the respondents are aware of the hazards associated with their jobs; 30% have had formal training on hazards and safety measures; 40% do not use personal protective devices, and 90% of the respondents reported symptoms relating to hazard exposure. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the mean heavy metal concentrations in the urine samples obtained from paint factory workers as compared with nonfactory workers.
Conclusion: The need to develop effective frameworks that will initiate the integration and ensure implementation of safety regulations in paint factories is evident. Where these exist, there is a need to promote adherence to these practice guidelines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:49:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8dc03449aeee417a910437717df5c5f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:49:40Z |
| publishDate | 2014-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj.art-8dc03449aeee417a910437717df5c5f52023-09-03T05:17:48ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112014-06-015210611110.1016/j.shaw.2014.02.001Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, NigeriaOlufunsho Awodele0Temidayo D. Popoola1Bawo S. Ogbudu2Akin Akinyede3Herbert A.B. Coker4Alade Akintonwa5Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, NigeriaBackground: The manufacture of paint involves a variety of processes that present with medical hazards. Safety initiatives are hence introduced to limit hazard exposures and promote workplace safety. This aim of this study is to assess the use of available control measures/initiatives in selected paint factories in Lagos West Senatorial District, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 400 randomly selected paint factory workers were involved in the study. A well-structured World Health Organization standard questionnaire was designed and distributed to the workers to elicit information on awareness to occupational hazards, use of personal protective devices, and commonly experienced adverse symptoms. Urine samples were obtained from 50 workers randomly selected from these 400 participants, and the concentrations of the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: The results show that 72.5% of the respondents are aware of the hazards associated with their jobs; 30% have had formal training on hazards and safety measures; 40% do not use personal protective devices, and 90% of the respondents reported symptoms relating to hazard exposure. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the mean heavy metal concentrations in the urine samples obtained from paint factory workers as compared with nonfactory workers. Conclusion: The need to develop effective frameworks that will initiate the integration and ensure implementation of safety regulations in paint factories is evident. Where these exist, there is a need to promote adherence to these practice guidelines.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791114000079hazard exposureheavy metalsoccupational hazardpaint factoriessafety regulationsworkers |
| spellingShingle | Olufunsho Awodele Temidayo D. Popoola Bawo S. Ogbudu Akin Akinyede Herbert A.B. Coker Alade Akintonwa Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria Safety and Health at Work hazard exposure heavy metals occupational hazard paint factories safety regulations workers |
| title | Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria |
| title_full | Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria |
| title_short | Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Amongst the Paint Factory Workers in Lagos, Nigeria |
| title_sort | occupational hazards and safety measures amongst the paint factory workers in lagos nigeria |
| topic | hazard exposure heavy metals occupational hazard paint factories safety regulations workers |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791114000079 |
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