health and safety oil and gas industry in nigeria - jorind vol11 no2 dec chapter9

JORIND 11(2) December, 2013. ISSN 1596-8303. www.transcampus.org/journals; www.ajol.info/journals/jorind

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN

NIGERIA

Monday Ohi Asikhia

and

G.C. Emenike

Department of Geography & Regional Planning, University of Benin, Benin City

Abstract

This paper examines occupational health and safety in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The

objectives of the study are to investigate the various types of hazards that oil workers are exposed

to, the effects of these hazards on the health of the workers, the effectiveness of the existing means

of mitigating these hazards, and the adequacy of the legislation that impacts on the provision of

occupational health and safety in the oil gas industry in the country. In the course of the study,

two hundred and seventeen (217) workers in the oil and gas industry were randomly selected for

the purpose of questionnaire administration. Analysis of data was carried out using the SPSS.

The results showed that workers are exposed to various hazards in their workplaces. The paper

therefore, recommends the provision of fire extinguishers in workplaces, health assessment of all

workers, the provision of appropriate health facilities and the enforcement and strengthening of

existing legislation to mitigate these hazards.

Keywords: Occupational health, safety, oil and gas industry

Introduction

Occupational health and safety is a cross-

disciplinary area concerned with protecting the

safety, health and welfare of people engaged in

work or employment. The goal of all

occupational health and safety programmes is

to foster a safe work environment. As a

secondary effect, it may also protect co-

workers, nearby communities, and other

members of the public who are impacted by

the workplace environment

(http://wikipedia.com). Since 1950, the

International Labour Organization (ILO) and

the World Health Organization (WHO) have

shared a common definition of occupational

health. It was adopted by the Joint ILO/WHO

Committee on Occupational Health at its first

session in 1950 and revised at its twelfth

session in 1995. The definition reads:

"Occupational health should aim at: the

promotion and maintenance of the highest

degree of physical, mental and social well-

being of workers in all occupations; the

prevention amongst workers of departures

from good health caused by their working

conditions; the protection of workers in their

employment from risks resulting from factors

adverse to health; the placing and maintenance

of the worker in an occupational environment

adapted to his physiological and psychological

capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation

of work to man and of each man to his job"

(http://wikipedia.com).

The term safety has been defined and

envisioned by many experts and authorities

since the industrial revolution. Some

authorities regard safety as the deliberate

endeavour undertaken by a group or individual

to promote specific precautionary measures

against damage, injury or accident. To a vast

majority of persons, the term safety has to do

with precaution from injuries or accidents that

could lead to deformities or disabilities on the

human body. Generally safety is a condition of

being protected from dangers and harms (Rim-

Rukeh, 2009). It is also a situation of being

free from hazard and all conditions that have

the potential of causing damage, harm or

injury. As a matter of fact, the term safety does

not imply the total elimination of all risks or

danger, but the elimination of unnecessary

risks.

Health is a general condition of a person in all

aspects. The World Health Organisation

(WHO), in 1948, defined health “as a state of

http://www.transcampus.org/journals

http://wikipedia.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Labour_Organization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization


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complete mental, physical and social wellbeing

and not merely the absence of disease or

infirmity. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/health).

Over the years the oil industry has made a

variety of contributions to the Nigerian

economy. These include the creation of

employment opportunities, local expenditure

on goods and services, contribution to

government revenue, contribution to gross

domestic product (GDP), contribution to

foreign exchange reserves, and the supply of

energy to industry and commerce.

(http://www.ogbus.ru/eng/). Logically, the oil

and gas industry is one of the riskiest

industries when it comes to health and safety

of employees. Interruptions in oil production

caused by fires and accidents easily lead to

significant economic losses, and potential

hazards to humans and the environment

(Ahlang, 2005 as cited in www.ivythesis.com).

Working in oil refineries basically exposes

employees to benzene and naturally occurring

radioactive material (NORM ), substances that

are dangerous to health (Markussen, 2003 as

cited in www.ivythesis.com).

Why much has been written on the

environmental impacts of oil exploration and

exploitation in Nigeria, the impact of the oil

and gas industry on the health of its workers

has not been paid the necessary attention.

Study Area

Location

Our study area is Warri, a major oil producing

city in Nigeria located on latitude 5′ 310N and

longitude 5′ 450E. It lies along the Warri River

in the Western Niger-Delta, 30 miles (48km)

upstream from the port of forcados on the

Bight of Benin. Among the oil and gas

industries studied are Agip, Hercules Offshore,

Chevron/Texaco, NNPC, Nest Oil Nig Ltd etc.

Data presentation and analysis Two hundred and seventeen (217) workers

were randomly selected for the purpose of

questionnaire administration. Analysis of data

was carried out using the SPSS.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/health

http://www.ogbus.ru/eng/

http://www.ivythesis.com/

http://www.ivythesis.com/


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Figure 1: Names of Oil Companies.

Source: Field Survey, 2011.

Figure 1 shows that 24.42% of the respondents

were staff of NNPC, 18.89% were working

with NEST OIL, 8.76% with Nigeria Gas,

22.58% with Agip, 7.83% with Hercules,

10.14% with Chevron, 1.84% with Texaco,

0.46% with Halliburton, while 0.46% were

with WPC, and 4.61% with DPR.



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Figure 2: Sex of Respondents

Figure 2 shows that of the 217 respondents surveyed for this study, 87.1% were males, while

12.9% were females.

Table 1. How Long Have You Been Working In This Industry?

Duration Frequency Percent

Less than 5yrs 97 44.7

5-10yrs 94 43.3

11-20yrs 19 8.8

21-30yrs 7 3.2

Total 217 100.0


Table 1 shows how long the respondents have worked in the industry. 44.7% had spent less than

5 years, 43.3% between 5-10 years, 8.8%, 11-20 years and 3.2 between 21-30 years.

Table 2: Exposure to Hazards in Work Place

Frequency Percent

Yes 189 87.1

No 28 12.9

Total 217 100.0


Responses on exposure to any form of hazards in work place shows that 87.1% agreed that they

were exposed to hazards in their work places, while 12.9% gave no answer.



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Table 3: If Yes, What Are The Physical hazards?

Hazards Frequency Percent

Noise 181 49.3

Vibration 54 14.7

Ionizing

radiation 10 2.7

Lighting 24 6.5

Cold stress 5 1.4

Heat stress 81 22.1

Others 5 1.4

No response 7 1.9

Total 367 100.0


Table 3 shows that 49.3 % of the respondents

claimed that the physical hazard was through

noise, 14.7% agreed that it is through

vibration, 2.7% claimed it is through ionizing

radiation, 6.5% said it was through lighting,

1.4% claimed it was through cold stress,

22.1% were of the view that it was through

heat stress, while 1.4% of the respondents gave

other physical hazards, and 1.9% gave no

response.



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Figure 3: If Yes What Are The Mechanical Hazards?



claimed that impact force was a major

mechanical hazard, 28.07% claimed that being

struck by object is a major mechanical hazard,

18.80% said that confined space could cause

mechanical hazard, 20.16% thought equipments

could cause mechanical hazard, 7.36% were of

the view that entanglement was a major

mechanical hazard, while 8.17% gave

compressed air/high pressure as a major

mechanical hazard, and 14.71% gave no

response.

Table 4: If Yes, What Are The Biological Hazards?

Frequency Percent

Bacteria 15 6.9

Virus 2 .9

Fungi 4 1.8

Blood-borne pathogen 66 30.4

Tuberculosis 3 1.4

No response 127 58.5

Total 217 100.0


Table 4 shows that 6.9% of the respondents

claimed that bacteria is the main biological

hazard they are exposed to, 0.9% were of the

view that virus is the major biological hazard,



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1.8% thought that fungi was the main biological

hazard, while 30.4% were of the view that

tuberculosis is the major cause of biological

hazard, 58.5% gave no answer.

Figure 4: If Yes What Are the Work Related Injuries



were of the view that burns was a major work

related injury, 15.80% claimed sprain, 33.79%

said that hand injury was a major work related

injury, 2.18% accepted all work related injuries,

0.54% gave other forms of work related injuries

and 28.07% of the respondent gave no answer.

Table 5: If Yes, What Are The Chemical Hazards?

Frequency Percent

Acid 5 2.3

Base 1 .5

Heavy metals 116 53.5

Solvent (Petroleum) 19 8.8

Particles (dust) 59 27.2

Others 2 .9

No response 15 6.9

Total 217 100.0




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On the exposure to chemical hazard, 2.3% of

the respondents were of the view that acid was

a major chemical hazard, 0.5 claimed base was

also a major chemical hazard, 53.5% thought

that heavy metal was also a major chemical

hazard, 8.8% were of the view that solvent

(petroleum) was a chemical hazard, 27.2%

claimed that particles (dust) was a chemical

hazard, while 0.9% gave other forms of

chemical hazards, and 6.9% of the respondents

gave no answer.

Figure 5: Fire and Explosion Hazard


Figure 5 shows that 56.66% of respondents claimed that fire and explosion is a major

hazard, and 43.32% thought otherwise.

Table 6: If Yes, What Are The Psychological Hazards?

Frequency Percent

Work related stress (Over

work) 138 63.6

Violence 67 30.9

Bullying (emotional and

verbal abuse) 1 .5

Sexual harassment 3 1.4

No response 8 3.7

Total 217 100.0


On the psychological hazard, 63.6% claimed it

was caused by work related stress, 30.9% were

of the view that it was caused by violence,

0.5% thought bullying was a major cause of

psychological stress, 1.4% were of the view that

sexual harassment was a psychological hazard,

while 3.7% gave no response.

Figure 6: Do They Affect Your Health?



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On the issue of hazard in work place and whether it affected people’s health, 88.94% of the

respondents answered yes, while 11.06% gave no as answer.

Table 7: Most Severe Hazards in Your Work Place

Hazards Frequency Percent

Physical Hazards 121 55.8

Biological hazards 8 3.7

Chemical hazards 16 7.4

Psychological hazards 6 2.8

Mechanical hazards 66 30.4

Total 217 100.0



were of the view that they were exposed to

physical hazards in their work place, 3.7%

claimed that they were exposed to biological

hazards, 7.4% claimed that chemical hazard

was the most severe hazard in the work place,

while 2.8% of the respondents claimed that

psychological hazard was the most severe

hazard in the work place, while 30.4% agreed

that mechanical hazard is the most severe work

place hazard.



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Figure 7: Has There Been Any Form of Injury In Work Place?


Figure 7 shows that 75.58% of the respondents answered yes to any form of work place injury,

11.52% gave no as an answer, while 12.90% gave no response.

Figure 8: Are There Means To Mitigate The Hazards Affecting Workers Health?




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Figure 8 shows that 94.47% of the respondents agreed that there were means to mitigate the

hazards affecting workers health, while 5.53% thought there were no means to mitigate the

hazard affecting workers health.

Figure 9: Has there been any Legislation that Impacts on the Provision of Occupational

Health and Safety in your Workplace


On the issue of legislation that impacts on the provision of occupational health and safety in

work place, 72.35% of the respondents claimed yes, while 27.65% gave no answer.

If Yes, What Are The Symptoms?

Figure 10: How Effective Is the Legislation?


On the effectiveness of the legislations, 5.53% of the respondents were of the view that it was

very effective, 83.41% claimed it was effective, while 11.06% agreed that it was not effective.



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Table 8: If Yes, What Legislation Has Been Provided?

Frequency Percent

The factories ACT 1990 142 65.4

The mine ACT 24 11.1

The factories ACT 1948 8 3.7

No response 43 19.8

Total 217 100.0



claimed that the factories ACT 1990 was one of

the legislations in their work place, 11.1% of

the respondents were of the view that the mine

ACT was also a useful legislation, 3.7% said

the factory ACT 1948 was still in place, while

19.8% gave no response.

Recommendations

From the above findings, the following

recommendations are made:

1. A fire or explosion is always a

possibility in the upstream oil and gas

industry. There should be adequate

provision for putting off fire in the

industry.

2. Education and training on safety should

be provided to the workers by the

employer.

3. Workers should make use of safety

equipments when going to the field.

Workers are supposed to wear safety

clothes, hand gloves, helmet, and safety

shoes amongst others to reduce

exposure to hazards.

4. There should be proper health

assessment of workers in order to

ascertain their health status.

Conclusion This paper examined occupational health and

safety in the oil and gas industry in Warri. From

the survey, it was found that oil and gas

workers are exposed to many hazards despite

the existing legislations enacted by government

to impact on the provision of occupational

health and safety in the industry. Given the

place of the oil and gas industry in the Nigerian

economy, there is the urgent need to mitigate

the adverse effects of oil and gas on the health

of workers.

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Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria:

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(2006). Workplace Health Promotion-

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Daniel B. B; Edward A. K; Dorothy B. R.

(1997): Environmental Science: Earth

as a Living Planet. 2nd edition.

Occupational Health Risks (OHRS) At five

Sites in Uyo Metropolis, South Eastern

Nigeria. World Journal of applied

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Udontong, I.R. and Udontong, J.I.R. (2003).

Health Risk Assessment In Oil and Gas

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Odinna, O.B. Ekop and V.I. Attaka, (Eds):

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http://www.ogbus.ru/eng/

health and safety oil and gas industry in nigeria - jorind vol11 no2 dec chapter9

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