AN ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES IN DANGOTE CEMENT PLC

ABSTRACT

The health and safety of every employee in an organization is important if the organization is to continuously operate to meet its stated goals and objectives. In Nigeria, industrialization and mechanization are increasing while occupational health problems are becoming prominent. These health problems are caused by exposure to harmful chemicals, biological agents, physical, mechanical and ergonomic hazards. Health problems resulting from such hazards may appear to occur less frequently than other major disabling diseases, due to lack of knowledge and pattern of illness of such hazardous diseases. This paper provided evidence through the content analysis of literature reviewed that, the illness from such hazards affect a considerable number of workers in Nigeria. It also examined the nature of compensation given to injured, sick or diseased workers in the cause of performing their duties in Nigeria. The paper concluded that, a healthy worker is a productive worker. It recommended that health educational programmes should be carried out in various industries to create awareness about peculiar hazard. In such industries, safety measures should be provided for workers against health hazard, while injured, sick or diseased workers due to occupational hazards should be duly compensated.

CHAPTER ONE

1. Introduction

Occupational health and safety is an area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goals of occupational safety and health programs include to foster a safe and healthy work environment. Occupational health and safety may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace environment. (Oak Ridge National Lab Safety Document, 2005).

The research and regulation of occupational health and safety are a relatively recent phenomenon. As labour movements arose in response to worker concerns in the wake of the industrial revolution, worker’s health entered consideration as a labour-related issue. (Adeniyi J.A. 2001).

In 1833, HM Factory Inspectorate was formed in the United Kingdom with a remit to inspect factories and ensure the prevention of injury to child textile workers. (Edmonds, E. L. 2013).

In 1840 a Royal Commission published its findings on the state of conditions for the workers of the mining industry that documented the appallingly dangerous environment that they had to work in and the high frequency of accidents. The commission sparked public outrage which resulted in the Mines Act of 1842. The act set up an inspectorate for mines and collieries which resulted in many prosecutions and safety improvements, and by 1850, inspectors were able to enter and inspect premises at their discretion. (Edmonds, E. L. 2013).

Otto von Bismarck inaugurated the first social insurance legislation in 1883 and the first worker’s compensation law in 1884 – the first of their kind in the Western world. Similar acts followed in other countries, partly in response to labour unrest. (Abrams, H.K. 2001)

Occupational safety and health can be important for moral, legal, and financial reasons. All organisations have a duty of care to ensure that employees and any other person who may be affected by the companies undertaking remain safe at all times (Asuzu M. C.1994). Moral obligations would involve the protection of employee’s lives and health. Legal reasons for Occupational safety and health practices relate to the preventative, punitive and compensatory effects of laws that protect worker’s safety and health. Occupational health and safety can also reduce employee injury and illness related costs, including medical care, sick leave and disability benefit costs.

Workers employed in the cement factories such as Dangote Cement Company, had high prevalence rates of exposure to potentially harmful work organization characteristics and hazardous chemicals. Many of these workers worked long hours. These workers also had high prevalence of exposure to physical/chemical hazards. (Iden E. 2010).

Workplace injuries are a serious concern and in most cases can be avoided. While providing a safe work environment is the responsibility of Dangote Cement Company for its workers, workers need to understand that there are things they can do to help keep themselves and coworkers safe. (Iden E. 2010).

One important way by which the government intervenes in the labour market is through the enactment and enforcement of the requirement of conducive environment for effective labour market transactions. Some of the ways by which this is carried out is through the enactment of laws to guide the actions of the labour market operators, i.e. the individual labour suppliers and their unions as well as the employers/employers’ associations. These laws have ways of enforcing safety laws, influencing the level of earnings and employment in the labour market, among others. With particular reference to occupational health and hazards, governments do intervene by promulgating laws to regulate minimum health and safety conditions for work in factories, mines and workshops; and laws relating to compensations for temporary and permanent disabilities as well as death. (Onyejeji N. 2011).

In view of the above, this research work is aimed at assessing occupational health and safety in Dangote Cement Company.

1.2    Purpose of Study

Occupational health and safety deals with the well-being, safety and comfort in the workplace. According to World Health Organization (WHO) in Carl (1975): “Occupation health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupation. The prevention, among workers, of department from health hazards caused by their employment, risk resulting from adverse factors to health in the placing and maintenance of workers in an occupation environment adapted to his physiological and psychological equipment: and to the adaptation of work to man and each man to his job”.

This research work is tending to look at:

1. The occupational health and safety laws that protect the health, safety and welfare of employees of Dangote Cement Company.
2. Physical hazards as a common source of injuries in Dangote Cement Company.
3. Training of workers of the Dangote Cement Company to reduce risk of the work hazard

1.3     Statement of Problem

Records of occupational hazards and diseases are poor in Dangote Cement Company, primarily because the company does not report cases to the relevant government agency. Nigerian workers across all sectors of the economy recently have become more endangered and prone to accident which ranges from minor to fatal, as some have lost their lives right in the line of duty, while some have lost vital organs, therefore rendered permanently incapacitated.

The issue of safety and health at workplace which once occupied a major place in the programme and plan of employers is now treated with levity. One such case that could not be forgotten in a hurry was the fire incident that razed a plastic factory in Ikorodu, Lagos in 2002 when many workers were roasted to death at night because the Chinese owners of the company locked the workers in the factory and went to sleep at their highly secured residence guarded by policemen.

In the manufacturing sector, the frequency of fatal industrial accidents is very alarming. While the sad thing is that while managements and unions conceal cases of industrial accidents and secretly negotiate compensation where there are unions, the management simply dish out paltry sums to the families of victims in both deaths and permanent disabilities.

Some of the victims who have suffered major injuries like loss of their hands or legs are often dismissed after receiving tokens that the companies give out on ‘compassionate’ ground, because the Workman Compensation Act that is supposed to address issues of industrial accidents is as good as nothing.

Legal provisions in the country presently are not adequate for an effective and efficient programme of safety and health at work. Safety in Nigeria’s workplaces depends intricately on the formulation of home grown and appropriate policies as well as the adaptation of international best practices to all facets of safety in the country.

Investigation has equally revealed that not less than 200 cases of industrial accidents occur in the workplace in Nigeria daily with an equally high rate of fatalities. It was discovered that no fewer than 400 workers have lost their lives in the power sector in the last two years while performing their official duties. In the maritime sector, it was also gathered that since the concessioning of the ports, over 100 cases of fatal industrial accidents have occurred with over ten deaths, numerous incapacitations and innumerable serious body injuries.

1.4     Research Questions

From the statement of the problem above, the following research questions emanated;

1. Why the records of occupational hazards and diseases are not reported in Dangote Cement Company to relevant government agencies?
2. How is it that the issue of safety and health at workplace occupied a major place in the programme and plan of Dangote Cement Company?
3. Why that little sums or no money is given to the families of victims in both deaths and permanent disabilities?
4. Why is it that the legal provisions in the country presently are not adequate for an effective and efficient programme of safety and health at work?
5. Why is it that the industrial hazard is in increase in the Cement factories?
6. To what extent has the management provide succour to the families of the victims of industrial hazards?
7. To what extent has legal provisions being able to have impact on the relationship between the industrial hazards victims and management?
8. To what extent has the health and safety of every employee in Dangote Cement Company is important if the company is to continuously operate to meet its stated goals and objectives?

1.5     Research Hypothesis

Assumptions about the assessment occupational health and safety in Dangote Cement Company will be tested in line with the statement of problems. These assumptions have been formulated into hypothesis to enhance the proper test of their validity.

The following are therefore the research hypothesis to be tested in this research work:

1. That the records of occupational hazards and diseases are not reported in Dangote Cement to relevant government agencies.
2. That the safety and health does not occupied a major place in the programme and plan of Dangote Cement Company.

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