Assessment of occupational hazards associated with smoked fish production in selected fish smoking centers within Oyo state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the occupational hazards associated with smoked fish production in selected fish smoking centers within Oyo state Nigeria. The study employed multi stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-economic characteristics of respondents, job description of the respondents, hazards associated with fish smoking, employer’s responsiveness towards hazards. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis such as frequencies and percentages which were used in organizing, summarizing and presenting the research findings. Most workers (59%) that participated in fish smoking activities in the study area are in their active age (31 – 40 years), they spend 6 – 10 hours per day on the job and the industry is dominated by females (77%). Most (63%) of the respondents experienced accidental knife cut as major physical hazard while 62%, 56% and 42% saw body pain, headache and high body temperature respectively as a major health hazards associated with fish processing. Poor ventilation, poor posture and poor illumination ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd environmental hazards associated with fish smoking activities while radiation was not seen as a major environmental hazard in fish smoking industry. This study also reveled that processing of smoked fish significantly (P<0.05) pose one form of hazard or another to respondents in the study area while Majority (83.3%) of the respondents claimed that their employers promptly make provision for protective equipment but little provision was made for worker’s health surveillance programme (28% promptly pay) and worker’s health insurance scheme (15% promptly pay). It is therefore recommended that relevant agencies of Government to ensure that fish smoking industries take the health and safety of their workers more seriously by ensuring proper health and safety education, providing necessary equipments to reduce health challenges associated with their job and providing proper health insurance scheme

Keywords: Occupational, hazards, smoked fish, smoking centers