Need for Effective Health and Safety Practice in Stores Operations

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

Industrial accident can be said to be an accident which occur in an industrial environment (factor or store) unexpectedly which causes permanent injuries and in same cases may result to death of an employee and human being in general. Any mishap and sudden occurrence in an industrial site causing lost and hurt to materials, equipment and man is an example of industrial accident in the store and it result to cost of production.

Safety working practice aimed at improving productivity and as well as preventing accident at work in an industrials environment and stores. As a result of various accidents incidents in our industrials firms and factories, safety practices and rules in the stores are paramount and take the priority attention of the operational management of firms.

To ensure adequate safety and protection of machines, materials, and employees in stores of various industries today, training expositions seminars and symposium have been organized to inform and educate workers and operators to alert them on the use of tools, equipment etc. to always put on protection wears like overall, safety books helmet, gloves which will drastically reduce the level of industrial accident in stores and industries.

Nigeria bottling company plc is one of the bottling company that have its beginning in Nigeria form a small family owned operation at inception. It is one of the multinational organizations.

It was the predominant bottler of alcohol free beverage in Nigeria responsible for the manufacture and sales of 33 different coca-cola products (brands). The Nigeria bottling company was incorporated in November 1951 as a subsidiary of AG leventiies group with the franchise to bottle and sale coca-cola product in Nigerian in march 1953 at a bottling facility in ebuta Lagos state. It is wothy to mention the fact that the Nigeria bottling company (NBC) employee over 7000 Nigerian in all the field of operations. It was one of the worlds leading soft drinks producers.

Some of their products are coca-cola fanta orange, schweppes, five alive, fanta ginger, fanta tonic, fanta soda, fanta lemon, crest, bitter lemon etc.

Nigeria bottling company is also the largest manufacturer of carbonate soft drinks (co2) and Eva water NBC had the largest private owned fleet of delivery trucks, pick up and cars in Nigeria that deliver to many dealers in all parts of the country.

Over the years, production capacity has grown as it has many bottling facilities and over 80 distributions warehouses located across the country and over 200,000 sales out let nation wide.

To maintain standard and safety Nigeria, bottling company has a training school at ikeja lagos state with the head quarter located at iddo Lagos state which helps educate the staff and management Nigeria bottling company owerri plant is located at KM 7 Owerri Onitsha Industrial layout. They started operation in the year 1982 with a single production line, producing only fantas and letter added many different products.

1.2 Statement Of Problems

Though industrials accident is preventable and there are safety measures in working place, but the following are discovered to be the banes or problems of the subject matter.

1. There are recruitment of quack staff and operators in the industries which promotes industrial accident in the company.
2. Inability of the management to identify the possible cause of accident and make provision to prevent them and also identify the types.
3. Management negligent in the discharge of their duties and provide safety facilities to workers and materials.
4. Inability of the workers to yield to the safety instruction and practice provided.
5. Little time are allocated to the verification of causes of industrial accident as a result of lack of funds to carry out detail inquiries.

1.3 Aim and Objectives Of The Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Need for Effective Health and Safety Practice in Stores Operations. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine firms and types of industrials accident s in various stores.
2. To examine the causes of industrial accident in various stores
3. To examine and investigation the measures taken or put up to prevent industrial accident that occurs in stores.
4. To know the extent to which staff and management yield to the code safety practice.
5. To examine the various laws and legislation put on accidents in store.
6. To suggest on new feasible ways to maintain an accident free industrial base.

1.4 Significant Of The Study

This research will benefit the following group of people;

1. The Researcher: The research part from researching for her fulfillment of conditions necessary for reviewing the Higher National Diploma award. It will serve as an eye opener to her on matter concerning safety regulations in any industry she found herself.
2. Other Industries: It will help other industries that may come across the project to know the forms of accident and the necessity of safety practice in stores.
3. The Study Firm: NBC owerri will find this research useful as it will highlight their areas of deficiency and help them in carrying out further research on curbing accidents in their stores
4. Students Researchers: Future student in this field or who wants to make research on this topic will find it useful and it will serve as a guide to develop their research work.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are there fatal accident in store?
• Is industrial accident controllable or uncontrollable?
• Is there any loss arising from industrial accident which affect the profitability of the firm?
• Are there safety measures put in place to prevent industrials accident in stores?
• Is there any legislation quarantine the safety of workers in working place?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Loss arising from industrial accident does not affect the profitability of the firm
• H1: Loss arising from the industrial accident affects the profitability of the firm

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There are no health and safety measures to prevent industrials accident in stores NBC
• H1: There are health and safety measures to prevent industrials accident in stores in NBC.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

This study on the need for an effectives health and safety practices in stores operation covers the industrials accidents and safety measures and policy in stores operations. It studies the Nigeria bottling company (NBC) Owerri and not the Nigeria Company nation wide.

The geographical coverage or area of the study is Owerri municipal council (Owerri plant of NBC Nigeria PLC), the result of this study will be used to draw conclusion on industrial accidents and health and safety measures in stores nations wide.

1.8 Limitation Of The Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:

   The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.

2. Establishment Policies:

   Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.

3. Financial Constraint:

   Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

4. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents:

   A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.