Abstract
The alarming frequency of preventable incidents in Nigeria's manufacturing sector has prompted a renewed focus on occupational health and safety (OHS). Numerous studies have linked ignorance, delays in intervention initiatives, and outright omission of required measures, to poor OHS status. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), over 2.3 million people die annually from industrial accidents, whereas more than three-quarters of a million people are susceptible to work absenteeism owing to occupational illnesses and injuries. Although there are some OHS studies on developing countries, the research initiatives require additional studies to reflect OHS in the African context. Similarly, extant scholars have called for more empirical studies, as OHS studies are limited compared to the incident rates. There is also limited empirical evidence for safety intervention practises in Nigeria’s manufacturing industry. These identified gaps served as the foundation for the current study, which aimed to add to the body of knowledge on how to improve safety in developing countries like Nigeria.
This study employed a mixed-method research design in which qualitative and quantitative research procedures were combined, using a fixed explanatory sequential QUAN-dominant mixed-method strategy to examine perceptions of the three key major stakeholders (employees, employers, and the government) regarding existing safety measures in Nigeria’s manufacturing industry, their efficacy, and possible interventions to enhance their applicability to revitalize OHS practises. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design, collecting data from both registered (196, with three participants drawn from each, representing about 56% of the total population of 353) and non-registered (15) workplaces located in cities in three Nigerian states, totalling 633 required participants. A mix of simple random and convenience sampling techniques were applied to select the expected samples. In addition to existing measures, 800 semi-structured questionnaire copies were distributed to account for participants’ non-response bias. The questionnaire copies were self-administered and were collected by using the drop-off and pick-up survey method. From the 800 that were distributed, 710 questionnaire copies were retrieved, with 641 (90%) completed. SPSS software version
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26 was used to analyse the 641 responses. The blue-collar workers constituted the unit of analysis for this phase.
A total of 20 face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with key informants, including 10 top management staff, four government representatives, and six employee representatives, as well as labour union members. Key stakeholders were considered for the qualitative phase, as they could provide detailed information to guide an in-depth study of the topic. The group served as this phase's analytical unit. Thematic analysis (template analysis) and direct interpretation were utilised to analyse the qualitative data, which included 18 usable interview responses that were transcribed.
The findings confirmed that Nigeria’s manufacturing sector is male-dominated (close to 70%), with a predominance of relatively young employees between the ages of 26 and 45. A higher percentile is literate (99%), mature (> 50%), mentally fit, and capable of comprehending the written rules, instructions, or any highlighted safe work regulations and procedures, while many of them (99%) can maintain a safe work environment. Nonetheless, employees’ perceptions of existing safety measures were polarised, indicating the need to re-examine existing practises and safety measures. Therefore, this study confirmed that the zero-safety mission has not yet been achieved in Nigeria's manufacturing industry, as workers appear to be disconnected from certainty and entangled in the practise of withholding the truth. Such disconnect could jeopardise the ability to provide meaningful solutions to existing safety concerns and may impede implementation of proactive measures that could have been implemented with adequate information. The findings also highlight the importance of appropriate top management demonstration of commitment towards a safety climate and the federal government's active participation in mobilising support for employees' interest in safety performance behaviours, both in compliance and participation in safety, including the ability to express their work observations without fear. Based on the findings, recommendations have been proposed to improve occupational health and safety practises in the manufacturing industry with the likelihood of enhancing OHS in Nigeria’s manufacturing workplaces.