A. R. ISARA

Introduction: Occupational hazards remain a major public health concern, particularly in manufacturing industries where workers are exposed to physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks. Despite existing global and national regulations aimed at ensuring workplace safety, such as those guiding occupational health practices, these hazards persist, especially in developing countries due to poor compliance and underreporting, thus this study assessed occupational health hazards and safety practices among workers of Seven-Up Bottling Company, Benin City, Edo State. Objective: This study was conducted to assess occupational hazards and safety practices among workers in Seven-Up Bottling Company, Benin City, identify the common occupational health hazards present and factors predisposing workers to these hazards, with the goal of guiding targeted prevention and occupational health promotion to reduce workplace risks. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 workers selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interviewer- administered questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used to summarize data, while Chi- square test and binary logistic regression were used to determine associations and predictors at a 5% level of significance. Results: The mean age of respondents was 32.7 ± 8.1 years. Most respondents were males, 71 (67.6%), and were between 20–29 years, 45 (42.9%). Common occupational hazards identified included psychological stress, awkward posture, repetitive movements, noise exposure, slippery floors, moving machinery without adequate guards, and glass bottle explosions. More than half of the respondents, 58 (55.2%), demonstrated poor safety practices, while 47 (44.8%) had good safety practices. Department/unit was significantly associated with the level of safety practice (p < 0.001). Additionally, 42 (40.0%) of respondents sustained work-related injuries in the last 12 months. Among those injured, cuts and lacerations from broken glass or metal were the most common

Environmental sanitation remains a major public health concern in market environments, particularly in developing countries where overcrowding, poor waste disposal, and inadequate sanitation facilities are common. This study assessed the knowledge, practices, and barriers to environmental sanitation among market women in Uselu Market.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the environmental sanitation practices among market women in Uselu market and identify the factors influencing these practices with the aim of providing evidence-based recommendations for improving sanitation standards, reducing environmental health risks, and preventing sanitation-related diseases within market settings.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted among 330 market women selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize data, while Chi-square test was used to determine associations between variables at a 5% level of significance.
Results: Findings revealed that the majority of respondents had good knowledge of environmental sanitation, with 64.5% correctly defining environmental sanitation and over 90% demonstrating awareness of disease prevention, waste management, and environmental cleanliness. Environmental sanitation practices were generally good, as 98.8% cleaned their stalls daily, 93.6% used designated waste bins, and 96.7% participated in sanitation exercises. However, poor practices were observed in waste segregation, where 73.3% never separated waste before disposal, and reporting of sanitation problems, where 34.8% never reported sanitation issues. Major barriers identified included financial constraints (16.7%), lack of waste bins (16.1%), and irregular waste collection (9.1%). Ethnicity was significantly associated with knowledge of environmental sanitation practices (p = 0.005), while religion was significantly associated with sanitation practices (p = 0.021).

Conclusion: The study concluded that although market women demonstrated good knowledge and relatively good sanitation practices, important gaps remain due to infrastructural and financial barriers. The study recommends provision of adequate waste bins, regular waste collection, promotion of waste segregation, continuous health education, and stricter enforcement of sanitation regulations to improve environmental sanitation in market settings