Occupational Hazards Associated with Traffic Warden in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study occupational hazards associated with traffic wardens in Port Harcourt metropolis sought to examine the physical hazards, chemical hazards, psychosocial hazards, biological hazards and the ergonomic hazards associated with traffic wardens in Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State. The study was directed by two objectives, two research questions, and two hypotheses. The study was conducted in the state of Rivers. A descriptive cross-sectional survey approach was used for this investigation. The study's sample size of 400 respondents, which included 280 male traffic wardens and 110 female wardens' officers in the Port Harcourt metropolitan, represented the study's population of 846 traffic wardens. A designed questionnaire titled "Occupational Hazards Associated with Traffic Warden" served as the data gathering tool. Strongly agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree (D), and Strongly disagree (SD) were the five possible responses on a five-point likert scale (SD). Three specialists validated the face and substance of the instrument. Using SPSS software, a reliability coefficient of 0.76 was determined. The results show that traffic wardens are connected to physical dangers, with grand mean values of 3.982 and 3.983 for male and female wardens, respectively, and chemical hazards, with grand mean values of 3.918 and 3.942. The study's findings led to the following recommendations being made: Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) should embark on road traffic education, training and prevention of hazard, which are the best methods for managing the adverse health effects that are common among male and female traffic wardens, Ministries in charge of labour and productivity should from time to time go for inspection of male and female traffic wardens on duties and ascertain the hazards that are prevalent to them and adopt proper preventive measures and suggestion for further studies were also made.