Occupational Health Problems and Compliance to Safety Practices Among Building Painters in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

This study investigated occupational health problems and compliance with safety practices among building painters in the Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted a correlational research design. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses. The study population consisted of building painters working in the Port Harcourt Metropolis. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 450 painters for the study. A structured questionnaire titled “Occupational Health Problems and Safety Practices Questionnaire (OHPSPQ)” was used for data collection. Experts in occupational health and safety validated the instrument, and reliability was established using the Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85, indicating that the instrument was reliable. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using linear regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. The study findings revealed a significant relationship between occupational physical health problems and safety practices among building painters in the Port Harcourt Metropolis. The study also found a significant relationship between occupational musculoskeletal health problems and safety practices among building painters. However, the findings indicated no significant relationship between the level of compliance to safety protocols and safety practices among building painters. Therefore, occupational hazards remain prevalent among building painters due to exposure to chemical, physical, and ergonomic hazards associated with painting activities. Based on the findings, it was recommended that government agencies, construction firms, and professional associations should organize regular safety training programs for building painters, ensure the availability and use of PPE, and strengthen the enforcement of occupational safety regulations to reduce work-related health problems among building painters