Use of Personal Protective Equipment by Sawmill Workers in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Folaranmi D. Babalola and Azeez D. Oladipupo
The study evaluates the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety
gears among sawmill workers in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data for
the study were gathered through administration of structured questionnaire and
interview to solicit responses from sawmill owners and workers in the city.
Backache resulting from lifting of heavy loads ranked first among the health
disorders experienced by the sawmill workers. All the workers indicated that
they had experienced earache and this was mainly caused by loud noise made
by heavy machines used in sawmills. Also, eye irritation, cough and rough
voice were caused by wood dust and shaving particle. All the workers
interviewed in this study did not have ear muffs but 83.0% had hand gloves.
Majority of the workers did not have PPE and safety gadgets, and these were
not provided by the employer. For those that have PPE, protective eye glasses,
nose cover, and gloves were used. The workers used some of the PPE because
of fear for accident. The sawmill owners did not enforce the use of PPE.
Also, there was no enforcement on the use of PPE from any government
authority. The workers agreed that PPE are cheap and affordable, easy to use,
and necessary for their daily sawmill operations, however, they disagreed that
their meager salary can allow them to purchase them. It appears that it is
necessary for sawmill owners to encourage their workers to use the PPE as
well as support this by providing the necessary equipment. The concerned
government authority also needs to enforce the use of PPE in sawmills.