ASSESSMENT OF SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG MINERS IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

Mining is a critical economic activity with significant contributions to employment and development; however, it remains one of the most hazardous industrial sector globally. This study assessed the safety practices among miners in Kwara State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to determine if (i) use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), (ii) co-worker safety practices, and (iii) safety signage and posters are employed as safety practices among miners in Kwara State. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of all registered miners across the thirteen active mining sites in Kwara State. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 381 respondents that served as the study participants, and a researcher-designed questionnaire served as the data collection instrument. The questionnaire was validated by experts, and reliability was established using the split-half method with a coefficient of 0.81. Data was analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, and chi-square statistical analysis at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that: the use of Personal Protective Equipment is safety practice with cal. val. 675.440 > 16.92 @df of 9; practice of co-worker safety is safety practice with cal. val 387.797 > 16.92 @df 9; use of safety signage and posters is a safety practice with cal. val. 523.934 > 16.92 @df of 9. The study concluded that the use of PPE, co-worker safety, and safety signage are significant safety practice among miners. It was recommended that subsidized Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety training programs for small-scale miners to reduce illegal and unsafe practices should be provided. Promote team-based safety programs where miners hold each other accountable, supported by incentives for safe behavior.