INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Health is an important determinant quality of life. The World Health

Organization (WHO 1998) define health as a dynamic state of complete

physical mental spiritual and social wellbeing of an individual and not

merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This implies that health is

the overall condition of an organism at a given time as regard to

soundness of body or mind as well as freedom from abnormality.

Occupational health according to Joint Committee of International

Labour Office and World Health Organization (1980) is defined as the

promotion and maintenance of the highest physical and social wellbeing

of working in all occupations and place of employments.

The interactions between a worker and his environment may lead to

betterment of health when work is fully adapted to human factors and

may also lead to ill health when work is beyond human tolerance. The

importance of health to an individual cannot be over emphasized the

worker therefore needs to be healthy at least to enable him remain fit to

enjoy his employment.

Occupational hazards also refer to as dangers to human health and

wellbeing which are associated with specific occupation or as a risk

accepted as a consequence of a particular occupation

(WWW.thefreedictionary.com).

According to International Labour Office and World Health Organization

1980 occupational hazard is classified into six 96) namely:

1. Physical hazards

2. Chemical hazards

3. Biological hazards

4. Mechanical hazards

5. Psychosocial hazards

6. Ergonomics hazards

● Physical Hazards – are the most common and will be present in

most work places at one time or another. They include unsafe

conditions that can cause injury illness and death they are

typically easiest to spot but sadly too often overlooked because of

familiarity.

Examples of physical hazards include:

- Electrical hazards – frayed cords missing ground pus

improper wiring.

- Spills on floors or tripping hazards such as blocked aisle or

cords running across the floor.

● Chemical Hazards – are present when a

- Worker is exposed to any chemical preparation in the work

place in any form (solid liquid or gas). Some are safer than

others but to some

- Workers who are more sensitive to chemicals even common

solution can cause illness skin initiation or breathing

problems.

Examples of chemical hazards are

- Liquid like chemical products paints acid solvents

- Gases like acetylene propane carbon monoxide and helium

- Inflammable materials like gasoline solvents and explosive

chemicals.

● Biological Hazards – come from working with animals people or

infections plant materials. Working in day care hospitals hotel

laundry and room cleaning laboratories vertinary offices and

nursing homes may expose one to biological hazards. Examples of

biological hazards are:

Examples of biological hazards are:

- Blood or other body fluids

- Fungi

- Bacteria and viruses

- Plants

- Insect bites etc.

● Ergonomic Hazards – occur when the type of work body

position and working conditions put strain on your body. They are

the hardest to spot since you don’t always immediately notice the

strain on your body or the harm these hazards pose. Short-term

exposure may result in a “sore muscles: the next day or in the

days following exposure but long term exposure can result in

serious long term injury.

Ergonomics hazards includes

- Poor

- Improperly adjusted work stations and chairs

- Frequent lifting

- Poor posture

Having to use too much force especially if you have to do it

frequently.

● Mechanical Hazards – the mechanical hazards in industry centre

round machinery protruding and moving parts hand-held drilling

machines saws and cutting tools etc. As with all engineering

equipment the prime rule of safety within a mechanical workshop

is that of good housekeeping and general tidiness.

● Psychosocial Hazards – the psychosocial hazards arises from

the working failure to adapt to an align psychosocial environment

frustration lack of job satisfaction insecurity poor human

relationships emotional tension are some of the psychosocial

factors which may undermine both physical and mental health of

the worker. The capacity to adapt to different working

environments is influenced by many factors such as education

cultural background social habits.

It is a known fact that certain sectors and occupation are more

dangerous than others protecting workers in hazardous conditions

in what is often known as the “2D” Dirty Difficult and Dangerous

jobs is therefore a primary focus of the safe work programme.

Occupational hazards can lead to the following:

- Lost of body parts mostly limbs which is commonly cause by

operating machines.

- Burnout

- Lost of any of the five (5) senses such as licensing or sight.

- Incapacitation or permanent damage

- Low productivity or decrease manpower.

International Labour Office and World Health Organization

(1980).

Occupational deaths and injuries and non-related disease take a

particularly heavy toll in developing countries. In recognition of

the dangers of occupational hazards occupational safety and

health act 1970 was first pass by the United State of America

Government it is to primary federal law which governs

occupational health and safety in the private sector and the federal

government in the U.S. it was enacted by congress in 1970 and it

was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 29

1970. Its main goals is to ensure that employers provide

employees with an environment free from recognised hazards such

as exposure to toxic chemicals excessive noise levels mechanical

dangers heat or cold stress or unsanitary condition.

In Nigeria Federation of Nigeria (LFN) was meant to provide

minimum standards of health and safety for workers. It also makes

provisions for issuance of other relevant regulations codes of practices

standard orders rules and notices. Similarly it makes provision for

imposing penalties for any breach of its provisions. The Act therefore

empower the Minister of Labour to appoint inspectors of factories

nationwide who were expected to regularly undertake inspection of

workplaces to enforce the provision of the Act as they relate to

occupational health and safety of workers and productivity (MLP 2002;

Asuzu 1998). The Factories Act made general provision on health

specifically paid attention to cleanliness over crowd ventilation

lightening drainage of floors and sanitary conveniences. This is to avoid

conditions that would be offensive or injurious to workers on safety it

emphasized on training and supervision of inexperienced workers while

carrying out their jobs. Provisions were also made as precautionary

measures regarding explosions flammable dust gas vapour or

substance fire protection etc. In this issue of welfare the Act focused

on water supply food and first aid as well as provision of protective

materials/equipment. In case of accident and industrial disease the Act

provided for notification and investigation of accidents and industrial

diseases (Falana 1997; LFN 1990).

Similarly the Nigeria National Policy (NNP) in recognition of the

important of health of the workers charged the Federal Ministry of

Health with this responsibility:

a) Conducting surveillance on work environment and evaluation

frame work which are potentially hazardous.

b) Physical and biological monitoring of evaluations at health hazards

to workers among others.

In this regard occupational health and safety was designed to

implement the aforementioned policies and regulations. The

International Labour Organization (ILO 1985) which Nigeria is a

member identified the aims and functions of occupational health to

include:

a) Protection of workers against health hazards

b) Adaptation of the job to suit the workers health status.

Nigeria as a country was not really operating under any occupational

health and safety Act until 2012 when the Nigeria Senate passed a Bill

titled Occupational Safety and Health Bill 2012 which was a follow up to

the report of the Joint Committee on Employment Labour and

Productivity Health and Establishment and Public Services presented by

the Chairman. Senator Wilson Ake and 24 others the Bill was also

earlier passed in the House of Representatives same year.

The Bill seeks to protects workers from hazards associated with their

works and reports and re-enacts the Factory Act 2004 to make

comprehensive provisions for securing the safety health and welfare of a

persons at work environment (Akhigbe 2012).

Going by the various industrial health and safety regulations and policies

coupled with the stated objectives of occupational health one may say

that reasonable efforts have been made by government in Nigeria to

take good care of the occupations thereby preventing problems that will

be detrimental to them. However the extent to which they are practiced

or implemented by the various industries or organization including the

health sectors will now determine the health status of the workers in St.

Luke’s Anglican Hospital. This may only be scientifically determined

when a study is conducted to examine the hazards and occupational

health problems of workers in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital. It is against

this background that the researcher saw the need to carry out this study

in order to assess the health problems among health workers in St.

Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

Statement of the Problem

Despite the government efforts in Nigeria in formulating in Industrial

Acts and Laws and in the Acts are observed in the industries little or no

studies have been conducted to investigate the existing health problems

faced by the workers in their various places of work. The literature

source such as (Isah et al (1996) stressed that only a few studies were

conducted.

According to WHO (2005) only 10-15% of workers health access to both

standard of occupational health services especially in the developing

countries like Nigeria. Occupational hazards still pose serious health

problems in Nigeria. Also the National Institute for Occupational Safety

and Health (NIOSH) 1999 estimate that each year about 100000 people

die from occupational disease are recognized annually which was said to

be one major causes of low productivity among workers. Some of the

hazards such as physical chemical biological and ergonomics are still

quite traumatic among workers in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital. That a

need to have better understanding of those hazards in the light of the

aforementioned this study is designed to assess the health problems

among workers in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

Objective of the Study

The objective of the study is to study the factors responsible for

occupational hazards among nurses in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

Specifically the study tried to:

a) Find out the common types of occupational hazards among nurses

in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

b) Determine the number of nurses that have been attacked by a

particular type of hazards.

c) Find out if there are occupational health services available for

nurses in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

d) Ascertain the extent of utilization of occupational health services

by nurses in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

Significance of the Study

The finding of this study will be of great benefit to St. Luke’s Anglican

Hospital in nursing of health and general public.

The study will provide information on the commonest occupational

hazards to St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital. This will draw their attention to

the plight of health workers especially nurses thereby putting in place all

the necessary measures to provide a safe and healthier working

conditions in the hospital.

When this findings of this study are adopted and proper control

measures taken the health workers (nurses) would achieve a healthier

and more productive employment life with sustained earnings the

employers on the other hand will enjoy a productive and cost effective

labour-free in variably the society at large will enjoy a healthier health

care services and development.

The study will also be of immense value to the field of knowledge as a

source of literature. This will particularly benefit those that would want

to conduct similar research in the field of occupational health.

Scope of the Study

This study will try to address some of the occupational hazard such as

physical hazards biological hazards ergonomics hazards and

psychosocial hazards because they are directly and more concerned with

nurses activities especially the clinicians and it will be carryout in St.

Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

The study will not cover chemical and mechanical hazards hence they

are more industry centred and may only contribute very minimal as

health hazards to nurses.

Research Questions

1) What are the types of occupational health present in the hospital?

2) What percentage of the nurses are affected by occupational

hazard?

3) What are the occupational hazard services available to nurses in

St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.

4) To what extent are occupational health services utilized by nurses

in St. Luke’s Anglican Hospital.