Abstract:
In order to understand the issue of workplace safety among woodworkers, there is the
need to assess the knowledge of workers in occupational safety and health hazards.
Consequently, the purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge of workers in
occupational safety and health hazards in some selected wood workshops and sawmills
within Ada and Sogakope Districts in the Volta Region of Ghana. The study adopted a
cross sectional descriptive survey research design. The study focused on wood producers
working with sawmill firms and small-scale furniture workshops within Ada and
Sogakope Districts. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 160 respondents.
Data was gathered through questionnaires formulated based on the research questions.
The study revealed that the job category that records the highest prevalence of injuries at
the workshops and sawmills were wood cutting followed by logging, trimming and
processing. The study found that woodworkers usually report of back pains, hip and leg
pains, headaches, respiratory problems, nausea and small cuts. The study revealed that
the level of knowledge and experience of woodworkers in the occupational health
hazards and safety practice was low. The study revealed that woodworkers’ sources of
information of occupational hazards and safety measures were mainly from personal
experiences and colleagues. The study brought to light that the safety trainings that exist
among woodworkers in the study area do not equip woodworkers with adequate
knowledge and skill to promote safety in an effective way. The study concluded that the
knowledge of Ghanaian woodworkers is limited and outmoded to minimize risk of
accidents and diseases at the workshop. Promotion of occupational health and safety
through workshops, seminars and public lectures is recommended. Similar research
could be carried out in other regions to confirm or refute the findings of this study.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of CONSTRUCTION AND WOOD TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION, Faculty of TECHNICAL EDUCATION, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies, Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills Training and
Entrepreneurial Development in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
award of Master of Technology in Wood Science and Technology Education