Perceived Effect of Occupational Safety Measures on Workers' Performance in Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, Delta State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational safety measures when put in place in organizations are expected to increase the productivity of employees and drive organizations to better performance. This study was aimed at assessing the perception of workers at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) on the effect of implemented occupational safety measures on their individual and organizational performance.

Materials and methods: The study was cross-sectional in design conducted at the WRPC, Delta state, Nigeria, among 236 workers of the WRPC selected via a simple random sampling technique across different job cadres (junior, senior, and management) in the organization. Data were collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistical tests of the SPSS version 20 with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 43 ± 2.26 years with a male-to-female ratio of 1.8:1. More than 50% of the respondents attested that occupational safety measures had been well implemented at the WPRC. Almost all the respondents, 219 (92.8%) and 224 (94.9%), agreed that occupational safety measures in place and trainings on safety measures had improved individual worker's performance, respectively. Respondents' length of service and job cadres were significantly associated with their perceived effect of the existing occupational safety measures at the WRPC on individual worker and organizational performance (P < 0.001). They were also significantly associated with their perceived effect of the neglect of these safety measures on high labor turnover rate (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Occupational safety measures were perceived to have positively affected workers' and organizational performance.