AN ASSESSMENT OF COVID-19 SAFETY COMPLIANCE LEVEL AMONG INDUSTRIAL WORKERS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A pandemic of acute respiratory illness popularly known as Covid-19 took the world by storm. The viral illness is rapidly spread across the globe. The virus spreads by droplet transmission, contact with infected case or contact with contaminated fomites. The disease was first recognized after a cluster of pneumonia outbreak was reported in late December 2019 from Wuhan,China. A new, human coronavirus (HCoV) was isolated from these cases and identified as a beta coronavirus and provisionally named 2019 novel corona virus (2019-nCoV) using next-generation sequencing technology. On 11 Feb 2020, the International Committee on taxonomy of Viruses named the virus as “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ”(SARS-CoV2) while the World Health Organisation named it COVID-19.

Outbreak of fatal respiratory illnesses in Wuhan, China lead to speculations that SARS-CoV2 could be laboratory manipulated virus, however a study published in Nature Medicine on17 Mar 20 by Andersen et al. concluded that the SARS-CoV2 is not a laboratory constructed or manipulated virus based on the RBD on the SARS-CoV2. SARS-CoV-2 has RBD that has high affinity to ACE2 from humans, ferrets, cats and other species with high receptor homology. Coronaviruses are groups of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) as cited by WHO (2019). it was originally transmitted from animals to people. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals which is not yet infected humans. The evolution of these viruses in Nigeria threw the Government into dilemma. As a result the Government took drastic decisions and enacted laws that obliged all individuals and sectors including industries to comply to the globally outlined Covid-19 measures or hence face the penalties by the law. However, the rate of law evasion in Nigeria is overwhelming - many local and infant industries major key participants in Law evasion in Nigeria as they believe in bribery which caught to be guilty of law. On the order hand, the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria are key players in corruption and so therefore do no carryout there duties strictly and effectively as a result of demanding for bribery compensations. Thus, it is on the view of the above that this research is carried out to examine the rate at which industrial workers across Nigerian observe the Covid-19 safety precautions.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The dangerous and deadly nature of Covid-19 has warranted several restrictions and prevention measures to curtail its widespread across the globe as the virus has the ability to kill an individual within 7 days of contacting it (WHO 2019). Therefore the experience of Covid-19 in Nigeria emanated the Government’s adoption of laws that compels its citizens to comply with the Covid-19 prevention measures. More also, these measures are applicable to all sectors of the economy and organizations including industries situated in the country. However most industrial task are complex in nature thus can not be performed while observing most of the covid-19 rules such as social distancing, constant washing of hands and regular cleaning of surfaces frequently in contact with. It is upon this ground that the researcher seek to assess the level to which industrial workers obligatorily observe the Covid-19 rules.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The apex purpose of this study is to assess the Level of Covid-19 Safety Compliance among industrial workers. Below are other specific objectives;

1. To investigate if industrial workers in Abuja complies with the Covid-19 safety prevention measure.

2. Investigate the level to which industrial workers adhere to those prevention measures.

3. To find out if Government enforcement agencies and the industry managerial board carry out their supervisory roles in ensuring complete compliance to Covid 19 prevention measures by the workers.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. What are the Covid-19 prevention measures mandated for industrial workers?

2. Does industrial workers in Abuja comply with Covid-19 safety prevention measures?

3. What is the level to which industrial workers comply with Covid-19 safety prevention measure?

4. Does Government enforcement agencies and the industry managerial board carry out their supervisory roles in ensuring complete compliance to Covid 19 prevention measures by the workers?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is geared towards finding out if industrial worker comply with Covid-19 rules or prevention majors and to ascertain the level at which they correspond to these safety measure, more so this study shall outline factors influencing workers adherence to the Covid-19 rules. Hence these findings will be useful to the Government as it exposes the situation of compliance to Covid-19 rules, so as to aid them to ascertain the best ways to ensure better compliance by workers to Covid-19 rules.

This study will further serve as a benchmark for academic purposes.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study; the assessment of covid-19 safety compliance level among industrial workers is carried out and limited to Polystyrene Industries Abuja Nigeria.

1.7 LINITATION OF THE STUDY

Finance, time and availability of materials were the major constraints the researcher encountered while carrying out this study.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Government: The body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: such as. a the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency.

Covid 19: This is also known as coronavirus and it is a communicable respiratory disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus that causes illness in humans.

Compliance: the act of obeying and observing that which is lawful and legal.