Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Perception of Potential Occupational Hazards by Automobile Workers in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge and perception of Automobile workers on the occupational hazards in their workplaces and to identify their attitudes and safety practices towards protecting themselves from these hazards. A descriptive cross- sectional design and stratified sampling technique were utilized to identify the automobile workers/respondents. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and it covered areas like social demographics, knowledge and perception of potential hazards, attitude and safety practices employed by both Automobile Mechanics (AMs) and Automobile Spray Painters (ASPs) to avoid hazards. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Findings showed that there was statistically significant association between level of knowledge, attitude, perception of spray painters and mechanics based on their level of education. Also there was statistically significant association between level of knowledge, attitude, perception of spray painters and mechanics based on their work experience in relation to safety measures (p<0.05). However, there was no statistical significant difference in the knowledge of spray painters and mechanics about PPE as it can be generally rated poor (<50%), P>0.05). The p value for each of the tested parameter (>0.05) also shows clearly that there was no significant difference in the knowledge of both the Automobile spray printer and the Mechanics. There is need for regular training on safety guidelines and enforcement of standard/universal safety practices by automobile workers so as to reduce potential occupational hazards