Health and safety in high-risk work environments: A study of fuel service stations in Ghana
Health and safety in high-risk work environments: A study of fuel service stations in Ghana
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Date
2015
Authors
Monney, Isaac
Draman, John Bosco
Aruna, Abigail
Tenkorang, Asantewa Gyamfi
Osei-Poku, Fred
Journal Title
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Publisher
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science
Abstract
Aim: This descriptive study was conducted to assess the health and safety standards, occupational hazards and health
problems among pump attendants in Fuel Service Stations (FSS) in Ghana. Methods: Data was collected using structured
questionnaires and an observation check-list. A total of 145 pump attendants and 50 FSS managers were randomly sampled
from 90 FSS in the Kumasi Metropolis. Fisher’s exact test at 5% significance level and binary logistic regression were
conducted to test association among study parameters using SPSS 17.0. Results: The top three occupational hazards
were exposure to extreme weather conditions (99%); inhalation of vehicle exhaust fumes and petrol vapour (98%) and
fire outbreaks (88%). Common illnesses experienced by pump attendants are all work-related and were dominated by
musculoskeletal disorders [MSDs] (n=141), low-back pain [LBP] (n=81), headaches (62) and dizziness (n = 36). Logistic
regression using age, sex and work experience as risk factors for MSDs, LBPs and headaches showed significant association
between LBP and age of pump attendants (p = 0.036; 95% CI = 0.16-0.94) whilst MSDs and headaches showed no
significant association with the risk factors. Post-employment medical examination habits was poor (22%) among the
attendants possibly owing to ignorance of the health risks and the fact that the related costs are self-borne. Although all
stations had fire fighting equipment training in their usage was highly associated with work experience of pump attendants;
most newly employed attendants (<3years work experience) are not trained in their usage. Conclusion: Pump attendants
in FSS are predisposed to dire health risks due to their working conditions and require urgent measures to protect them
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Citation
Monney, I., Dramani, J. B., Aruna, A., Tenkorang, A. G., & Osei-Poku, F. (2015). Health and safety in high-risk work environments: A study of fuel service stations in Ghana. Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science, 4(3), 132-140.