Assessment of occupational health and safety of wood machining operation at a wood processing and marketing centre in Ghana

Abstract

The woodworking industry is considered to be a risk-prone working environment since every working item and materials used present potential danger through accidents or health risk. Workers in the woodworking industry are also faced with potential accidents that can be caused by flying wood chips and some parts of the machines that may be broken. This study assessed the occupational health and safety hazard associated with wood machining operation in a selected wood processing and marketing centre in Ghana. The study adopted mixed approach design of observation, cross-sectional survey, experimental and interventional design. Positivism and phenomenologist philosophical paradigms as well as inductive and deductive research approaches were used. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist. Findings from the study indicate that none of the wood processing machines assessed had operator’s manual, safety code or signs on them. Most of the safety parts were absent. However, few were improvised. The mean ratings of machine operator’s adherence to practicing occupational health and safety were lower than the theoretical mean of 3.0. This implies that the machine operators do not practice occupational health and safety. The study also revealed that, there was heavy metal concentration of airborne particulate such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Lead, Manganese and Zinc in the sawdust the workers were exposed to. Metal concentration levels exposed to by the workers were above Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency permissible exposure limits (PEL) thresholds. On workers exposure to sawdust, the result indicates that workers do experience headache, nausea, eye and skin irritation, shortness in breathing and coughing. Again, the operation and activities of the woodworkers could significantly influence their exposure to sawdust. Additionally, the study revealed that the woodworkers were not provided with personal protective equipment during their University of Education,Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh xix operations. Furthermore, the study revealed that training could significantly influence the woodworkers’ practice of occupational health and safety in the wood processing industry. The outcome of this study suggests that the management of the enclave studied need to do more to enforce practice of safety, especially the use of personal protective equipment, to reduce hazards and injuries associated with wood processing industry.