A study of fatal injuries in Nigerian factories

A study of the pattern of occupational injury mortality rates by industry and cause of death was undertaken to indicate the high-risk types of industry and the major causes of death, which could subsequently be used in developing cost-effective strategies for prevention. This is the first such study of accidental mortality factors in Nigerian factories. This paper reports the outcome of the study of mortality in Nigerian factories over a 10 year period (1987-1996). Between 1987 and 1996, a total of 3183 injuries were reported, of which 71 (2.2%) were fatal. The annual case fatality rate ranged from 0.94 per 100 injured workers in 1990 to 5.41 in 1994, with an overall fatality rate of 2.23 per 100 injured workers. Of the 71 deaths, 12 (16.9%) were associated with power-driven machinery. Ten (14.1%) deaths were associated with explosions, while people falling accounted for nine (12.6%) of the deaths. Eleven deaths (15.4%) occurred in the chemical/pharmaceuticals industry, nine (12.6%) occurred in the basic metal industry and seven (9.8%) occurred in the food, beverage and tobacco industry. There were seven (9.8%) deaths in the textile manufacturing industry. The highest case fatality rate per injured worker (16.6%) occurred in the coal-petroleum industry, followed by 5.9% in the wood and wood products industry. A rate of 5.8% occurred in the non-metallic manufacturing industry. The case fatality rates in Nigerian factories are compared with those of other predominantly African countries. Accident prevention programmes tailored to the work activities and specific causal factors in the high-risk types of industries are recommended following a detailed study of work situations and risk factors in these types of industries. Accident prevention programmes, including the use of protective equipment, safety education, machine guarding, a work permit system, effective supervision at work sites and the enforcement of factory laws and regulations, are recommended to improve accidental injury and death in the factories.