Page 1 of 6

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 03 Issue 12

November 2017

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 72

The impact of occupational health hazards on waste

management workers’ productivity in Nigeria

Ogbonda, Itoro Nwoburoma, Owapiriba P. Abu and Prof. Anele Kinikanwo A.

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between occupational health hazards and waste management

workers productivity based on extant literature on the variables. The study discourse of literature

covered the conceptualization, operational definitions and the possible relationship between the

variables. The review also examined manifestations of occupational health hazards especially

within the context of Nigeria and the possible impact of this on the well-being and productivity of

waste management workers. The discourse further espoused on the current practices and relative

measures undertaken by waste management organizations as well as the possible measures adopted

in enhancing the state and nature of work conditions under which waste management workers are

subjected. The review revealed substantial argument which links poor and inadequate management

of health issues to workers poor productivity levels and health related events. Consequently, it was

concluded that given the extent to which occupational health hazards impacts on workers

productivity, it is therefore imperative that waste management organizations, especially those in

Nigeria, adopt the necessary standardized health prerequisites and platforms duly recognized and

affirmed by the relevant global health organizations such as the World Health Organization

(WHO) with respect to workers work conditions and role expectations.

Keywords: Occupational health hazards, workers productivity, waste management.

Introduction

All waste management companies have a

responsibility to safely and effectively manage

waste as a normal part of their operation. Thus,

due to several risky activities involved in oil

and gas industries, industrial workers are

expose to many accidents/injuries with heavy

tools and equipment, inhaling of different

chemical waste, fire and transportation

accidents and adverse ergonomics conditions

etc. Somers H.M. and Somers R.A (1984)

traced the inception of the modern safety

movement to around 1912 with the first

cooperative congress and the organization of

the National Safety Council. It was about this

time that workmen’s compensation laws were

enacted which imposed financial responsibility

upon the employer to compensate personnel’s

injured on the job as well as to pay for their

hospital bills. The purpose of the sensitization

campaign by the National Safety Council was

to educate the employers on the hidden and

indirect costs of industry related accidents and

diseases.

Consequently, the interest of the employer and

employee coincide since the employee does not

want to be injured and the employer does not

want to be incurring the cost of the employee’s

injury. Occupational Health Hazard which is

different from occupational safety hazard is

prevalently on the rise as industrialization

increases in the global world. However, it is

crucial to identify most of these health hazards.

Hence, this will aid in prevention and provision

of some safety measures for the interest of the

employers and the employees. Therefore, the

Page 2 of 6

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 03 Issue 12

November 2017

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 73

safety and health of the work force of the

company which is seen as the valuable asset

should never be compromised. While at work,

workers face a lot of hazards such as

chemicals, biological agents, physical health

hazards, ergonomic hazard, psycho-social that

affects their health and in many occasions leads

to development of disease which at times

results to death. There are risk factors that lead

to injuries, accidents and death which are

present in every work place. Today, in most

industrialized countries, the occupational health

and safety standard for workers are still either

weak or non-existent in many organizations.

OSH also commonly referred to as

occupational safety and health is an area

concerned with the safety, health and welfare

of the people engaged in work or employment.

Occupational hazards can be divided into two

categories: safety and health hazards. Safety

hazards are those hazards that can cause

accidents that physically injure workers; while

health hazards are those ones that can result in

the development of disease. It is vital to take

into cognizance that a hazard only represents a

potential to cause harm. Whether it actually

does cause harm will depend on circumstances

such as the toxicity of the health hazard, the

extent of the exposure and duration. Hazards

can also be rated according to how severe the

harm they cause – a significant hazard being

the one with potential to cause a serious injury,

illness or death (Ontario Ministry of Labour,

October 2013). Industrial accidents and the

quest to provide harmonious industrial relations

and ensure the safety of the populace in the

postulations of Mensah and Julien, (2011) have

made many countries to enact or update their

safety and health laws. The inception of the

modern safety movement in the narrative of

Somers and Somers (1984) is traced around

1912 with first co-operative congress and the

organization of the national safety council. It

was about this time that state Workmen’s

compensation laws were enacted which

imposed financial responsibility upon the

employer to compensate personnel injured on

the job as well as to pay for the expenses for

hospital bills

The neglect in the better working conditions of

workers have put workers at greater risk and

even exposures to work related hazards. Suffice

it to say that majority of the industries in the

developing nations, Nigeria inclusive lacks the

basic environmental safety practices and

regulations to keep workers at safety. Different

types and methods of waste management, emits

divers health risks substances. Some are in

small quantities while others are in large

quantity. The existence over time of waste

disposal even transportation is very important

for environmental reasons and even the well

being of individuals at disposal sites.

Consequently the interest of the employer and

the employee coincide since the employer does

not want to be incurring the cost of the

employee injury. This notwithstanding, a

healthy work force is vital for the success of

any organization. A better approach to ensuring

a perfect work related conditions is to ensuring

a good work and health related regulations and

policies, and this must adhere to and comply

with health and safety standards.

The environment have been at the receiving

end negatively as a result of mans quest for

survival. These quests come in the nature of

industrialization, urbanization and population

increase. Work place conditions all over the

world have generated intellectual discourse

among scholars, health officers and even

environmental health safety managers. In

developing nations such as Nigeria work place

conditions particularly in industries calls for

greater concern. Price (2002) as noted in

Oyesola & Odeku (2014) argued that well- publicized and evidenced-based impact of

physical arrangement of the workplace in an

organization business performance is very

important to the stake holders and also the

workers who perform different duties in the

organization. Against the above backdrop,

Freeman (2010) contend that in recent years,

Page 3 of 6

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 03 Issue 12

November 2017

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 74

the issues surrounding health and safety are

becoming more prominent and new phrases,

ideas and concepts are being introduced.

However, in a developing economy like

Nigeria, context-based studies and reviews on

workplace accidents and injuries are lacking.

This stems from the fact that most of the

studies mentioned above have rather focused

on the identified coherent reasons for work

place accident, with identifiable data on

numbers of casualties within the context of

developing economies and highly advanced

organizational frameworks as compared to

what is obtainable in Nigeria, hence the need

for a study such as this which emphasizes on

the manifestations and interplay of the study

constructs (occupational health hazards and

waste management workers productivity)

within the context of Nigeria. This forms the

basis for this study.

Aim and Objectives of the Study: The aim of

the study is to examine the impact of

occupational health hazards on waste

management workers productivity.

Research Questions: What is the impact of

occupational health hazard on waste

management workers productivity?

Literature Review

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS):

Occupational health as defined by the joint

committee of the ILO/WHO (1950) is the

promotion and maintenance of the highest

degree of physical, mental and social well- being of workers in all occupation. It is further

explained as the sum total of all activities and

programs that are engaged upon aiming to

attain and maintain the highest level of health

and safety for all people who are engaged in

any type of work whatever. It involves the

protection of worker health from any hazard to

which they may be exposed to in the work

environment. Occupational Health and Safety

(OHS) is a preventive and proactive approach

which involves risk assessment, hazard

identification, hazard mitigation hazard

elimination and treatment of work-related

injuries.

However, there is a lot of hazards (Safety and

health hazards) in which people are exposed to

in their jobs, both in formal and informal

industries. Exposure to these hazards occurs for

fairly long hours on a daily basis as the

majority of the active hours of the day is spent

at work (at least 8 hours per day). These

hazards include: chemical, biological, physical,

mechanical, psychological and ergonomic

hazards for any person affected, it could be

either or a couple of the various forms of

hazard.

Health and safety are inevitable in any

organization or business. The reason is that the

only time an employee will perform his duties

is when the employee is in good health and he

is sure of a safe working condition. Also, a

good worker will perform his duties effectively

only when he is sure that even when an

accident occurs, he will be given a proper

treatment and compensation. According to

Goetzel (1991), improving employees health

and safety practice at work, is directly related

to their productivity and profitability of

organizations. Also, Oxenburgh et al (2004)

argued that “the health and safety of all

employees is closely linked to the company’s

productivity in all work places. Providing

workers with a safe and healthy work

environment, free from physical, chemical,

biological and radiological hazards inherent in

a particular industry sector, is essential for

ensuring the long term sustainability of the

organization and operations. A company is

required to implement all reasonable

precautions to prevent accidents, injury and

illness of workers in the course of performing

their duties. This includes following industry

specific workers safety standards and

implementing preventive and protective

measures to.