Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures among Oil and Gas Workers in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding occupational hazards and safety measures among oil and gas workers in South-South Nigeria. The study objectives were to determine the knowledge of petroleum companies' workers about occupational hazards and safety measures, establish their attitude towards safety measures for occupational hazards and ascertain whether workers in petroleum companies actually practice hazard prevention in the workplace. The study adopted cross sectional design and a total of 7200 oil and gas workers formed the target population. A sample of 379 oil and gas workers was selected using the stratified non proportionate sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Analysis of data was done using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results revealed that a large proportion of oil and gas workers though knowledgeable about occupational hazards and safety measures do not actually practice workplace hazard prevention. A significant proportion of the oil and gas workers were negative in their attitudes towards safety measures in the workplace. However age and length of service significantly influenced the knowledge of safety measures for occupational hazards (P<0.05). Based on the study findings, the need for petroleum companies to design and implement behavioural change programmes in addition to their routine safety trainings with the aim of stimulating workers to take responsibility for their health and safety in the workplace is crucial.