Age and Gender Differentials on Workers’ Knowledge of Physical and Ergonomic Hazards in Plastic Manufacturing Industries in Anambra State

Abstract

The study was conducted to ascertain age and gender differentials on workers’ knowledge of physical and ergonomic hazards in plastic manufacturing industries in Anambra State. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study consisted of all the workers in the 8 registered plastic manufacturing industries in Anambra State. The sample size was 242 workers. The instrument for data collection was a structured Age and Gender Differentials on Workers’ Knowledge of Physical and Ergonomic Hazards Questionnaire (AGDWKPEHQ). A reliability index of 0.81 was obtained and the instrument was adjudged reliable for the study. Frequencies and percentages were used for answering the research questions while Chi-square statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at .05 alpha level. Results among others indicated that more than half of workers identified physical (65%) and ergonomic (66.3%) hazards in plastic manufacturing industries. More than half of workers possessed a good knowledge of physical (62.96%) and ergonomic (64.18%) hazards. Also, at the .05 level of significance, workers’ knowledge of physical and ergonomic hazards was significant based on age (p< .05). Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that since workers possess good knowledge of physical and ergonomic hazards in their workplace, workers should strive to minimize their exposure to those hazards, especially physical hazards such as excessive noise, heat, radiation among others so that will be healthier and more productive.