ABSTRACT
In many
electrical/electronic workshops in technical college in Rivers State today, the
rate of accidents which causes damage to facilities and workshop users is
alarming. As a means of reducing accidents occurrences, safety practices and
procedures are observed. Hence, this study examines the implementation of
safety skills required by technical college electrical installation and
maintenance works students in handling instructional resources for optimal
performance in their workshop in Rivers State technical colleges.
A descriptive research
survey design guided the study. The population of the study consists of 27
respondents (18 teachers and 9 instructors) of electrical/electronic trades.
There was no sample and sampling technique due to small population size. Four
research questions were answered. The instrument used for data collection was a
structured questionnaire which was validated by two experts. The instrument for
the study was partitioned into four sections. Sections A to D were patterned
after Likert-5-point rating scale of agreement. A reliability coefficient of
0.85 was established for the instrument using Cronbach Alpha coefficient
reliability method. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the
research questions.
It was found that
power tools not properly grounded and insulated, presence of fire and explosion
hazards, working with high voltage without following necessary standards and
the use of metal ladder while working on electrical installation are the causes
of accident occurrences in electrical/electronic workshops while amputation of
affected parts, suffering from psychological trauma, students withdrawal from
programmes were some of the effects of accidents.
Based on the
findings, it was recommended among others that workshop users should be given
proper orientation by school management and government on activities that
causes accidents such as unsafe conditions and unsafe acts, workshop users
should be inform by relevant authorities such as Nigerian Institute of Safety
Professionals (NISP) on the effect of accident occurrences in technical
colleges, Safety experts should be employed in technical college to educate the
users of the workshop especially on areas concerning accident preventive
measures and so on.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Title page
Certification page
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of content
Chapter One
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background Of The
Study
1.2 Statement Of The
Problem
1.3 Purpose Of The
Study
1.4 Significance Of
The Study
1.5 Research
Questions
Chapter Two
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Conceptual Review
2.2 Theoretical
Framework
2.3 Review Of Related
Empirical Studies
Chapter Three
3.0 Research
Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population Of The
Study
3.3 Instrument Of
Data Collection
3.4 Data Analysis
Chapter Four
4.0 Results And Discussion
4.1 Results
4.2 Discussion
Chapter Five
5.0 Conclusion And
Recommendation
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations
References
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Occupational safety
is of paramount concern to both workers and students. Students and even parents
are much more interested in the level of safety provided in a particular
occupation. Graduates who possess required safety skills would always fair
better in an occupation, especially technical occupations. The knowledge of
safety practice skills by electrical installation students in technical
colleges is an essential prerequisite for effective use of tools and machines
in the workshop. Skilled electrical worker is not just someone who can perform
any electrical job correctly but a worker who can complete every job safely
(Oranu, Nwoke and Ogwo 2002). Safety has become a major determinant for
effective and successful performance in a job.
In the view of Olaitan,
Nwachukwu, Igbo, Onyeamaechi and Ekon (1999), safety is the art of taking
precaution for the avoidance or reduction of accidents in order to protect
people and property. Oranu, Nkowe and Ogwo (2002) further view safety as the
ability to perform every simple task involved in a job without causing damage
to tools, equipment or materials used in performing the task. Safety practice
is the ability to perform a task with necessary precautionary measures
exhibited for the purpose of preventing accidents. Practice means doing
something repeatedly in order to improve performance. For students to perform a
task with little or no record of accidents in electrical workshop, certain
related skills are required by them.
However, Okorie
(2000) defined skill as a manual dexterity through repetitive performance of an
operation. Skill is a well-established habit of doing something and it involves
the acquisition of performance capabilities (Osinem 2008). This implies that
skill involves well-established habit of doing things. In this study, skill is
the ability of electrical installation students in Technical colleges to
establish good habit performance in the workshop by acting, thinking, and
behaving well in order to prevent minor and major accidents that is involving in
any operation or job that is related to electrical installation and maintenance
work.
Electrical
installation is one of the trades in technical colleges. It is made up of the
following components, domestic and industrial installation; cable joining; battery
charging and repairs and winding of electrical machines (NBTE, 2014). In the
view of Nwachukwu, Bakare and Jika (2011), electrical installation trade is a
vocational course offered by students in technical colleges in order to produce
electrical craftsmen and technicians. Electrical installation student is a
person who is taking vocational course offered in technical colleges in order
to become electrical craftsman. Nwachukwu (2006), opined that electrical
installation students learn the basic skills required to operate, maintain,
install and repair electrical installation equipment and appliances in
technical colleges.
Technical Colleges
according to Okoro (2009), are principal vocational institutions in Nigeria
which are designed to prepare the individuals to acquire practical skills,
knowledge and attitude at sub-professional level, they are also established to
train craftsmen in various occupations. Okorie (2001) also saw Technical
College as institutions where craftsmen are trained up to obtain the craft
certificate of West African Examination Council and advanced craft certificate.
Students who have completed the first three years of secondary school education
are eligible for admission into Technical Colleges. Technical Colleges are
therefore, schools or training institutions where trades are being taught. It
is imperative for technical colleges to take into cognizance the safety skills
necessary in handling electrical equipment by students to achieve the set
objectives of the program.
However in this
study, technical college is formal place of learning where theory and practical
skills are learned by students from the teacher and instructor who give the
instruction.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Due to loss of tools
and machines as well as incessant occurrence of accidents that lead to
sustenance of injuries and electric shock, many students have been skeptical to
participate in practical activities in electrical workshop and as such, shy
away from participation. Yakubu (2004), confirmed that students in Technical
Colleges often absent themselves from school during practical lessons. This,
according to Yakubu, was attributed to the accidents the students experience in
the workshops.
Similarly, damages to
tools and machines as well as accidents occurring in electrical workshop in
Technical Colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States seem to have instilled fear
into the students which has made them to be absent during practical work. The
enrolment level into electrical installation trade in the technical colleges is
also on decline because parents and students are apprehensive of the frequent
accident rate occurring in the colleges. The safety practice skills required by
electrical installation students in Technical Colleges in Plateau and Kaduna
State which could reduce the occurrence of accident and damages to tools and
machines may be lacking.
Most of the tools,
equipment and machines damaged due to lack of safety skills by electrical
students and some of the machines are imported ones, the parts are costly and
not easy to purchase or replace. The magnitude of damaged tools results in the
non-performance of many tools, equipment and machines, and the increase in the
rate of accidents in the workshops of technical colleges is still alarming and
as such, students tend to shy away from electrical installation practical
because of fear of accident.
Therefore the problem
that this study intends to tackle is the decline in enrolments and the
avoidance of practical activities in electrical workshops by students due to
fear of electrical accidents. This gave the researcher a great concern to find
out the safety skills required by technical college electrical installation
students in handling equipment.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of
this study is to determine the safety skills required by technical college
electrical installation and maintenance works students in handling
instructional resources for optimal performance in their workshop. Specifically,
the study seeks to determine:
The Safety skills
required by electrical installation students in handling hand tools in
technical colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States.
The Safety skills
required by electrical installation students for operating machine tools in
technical colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States.
The workshop Safety
skills required by electrical installation students in Plateau and Kaduna
States.
The personal
protective equipment and materials required by students for work in electrical
installation workshop in technical colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of the
study will be of benefit to the electrical installation Teachers, Students,
Government, Curriculum planners, Workshop Personnel/electrical workers,
National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the society/parents and the
researchers.
Electrical
installations teachers in technical colleges shall from the findings of this
study, when published, see the need to improve the teaching of safety skills
and to identify the materials needed for safety practice in electrical
installation workshop. The findings will also benefit the teacher to pass
across instruction with ease and make it meaningful to the students.
The students will
benefit from the findings of this study by receiving standard training on
safety skills and the use of safety equipment which will in turn improve their
safety and academic performance. The awareness from the findings of the study
will help the students to identify the personal safety equipment and making
good use of them. The findings would assist the students in their everyday
handling and operation of equipment and tools in and outside the workshops.
These findings will
benefit the Government through Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and
Technology by using the information provided to come up with measures that will
ensure effective supply of safety equipment and recruitment of qualified
teachers. The Curriculum planners shall from the findings of this study, when
published, discover the need to introduce safety skills practices in the
curriculum, so that the students’ of this programme shall possess the
consciousness and skill in managing electrical equipment. The finding of the
study would assist in the curriculum review and updates in areas that lack
safety skills.
The result of the
study would help the workshop personnel/electrical workers to effectively guide
themselves and the students when working on machine or making use of tools
during practical works. Understanding of the result of the study would also
help the workshop personnel and workers to take adequate care of tools and
equipment in the workshop by keeping them clean and placing them in their proper
position in the work area.
The findings of this
study could be used by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as a
quality control body to incorporate suitable programme that can enhance safety
practice competencies in electrical electronics profession.
The findings of the
study will be of benefit to the society/parents at large, when competent
electrical installation students practice safety in handling electrical
equipment both at home and in the community. The findings shall benefit the
society when skilled graduates of electrical installation practice and educate
the public on safety measures to be taken when handling electrical equipment.
The information that
would emanate from this study will stimulate similar research efforts in other
states of the federation on the practice of safety skills required in their
institutions. The results may have far reaching implications for national
development in general as new concepts would be discovered on safety skills.
The findings of the study would provide information to researchers that may
wish to carry out similar research in other field in the future.
1.5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following
research questions are formulated to guide this study:
What are the Safety
skills required of electrical installation students in handling hand tools in
technical colleges’ workshops in Plateau and Kaduna States?
What are the Safety
skills required of electrical installation students for operating machines tool
in technical colleges’ workshops in Plateau and Kaduna States?
What are the workshop
Safety skills required of electrical installation students in technical
colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States?
What are the personal
protective equipment and materials required by students for work in electrical
installation workshop in technical colleges in Plateau and Kaduna States?
CHAPTER
FIVE
5.0
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
CONCLUSION
In order to eliminate
or reduce and minimize the rate of accidents occurrences in
electrical/electronic workshops in technical colleges in Rivers State, the
researchers concluded that there is urgent need for students and facilitators
of electrical/electronic in the college to be introduced to safety practice as
regard electrical/electronic and general workshop safety. This exposition will
help the students and workshop users to be able to identified activities that
are both unsafe conditions and unsafe acts that are capable of causing
accidents that may result to loss of lives and damage to properties and
possibly its effects on their academic performance while in the college.
Possible strategies to minimize accidents occurrences include labeling all
dangerous points and faulty equipment with the use of communication hazard
board in and outside the workshop premises.
5.2 Recommendations
Based on the findings
of the study, the following recommendations were made;
Workshop users should
be given proper orientation by school management and government on activities
that causes accidents such as unsafe conditions and unsafe acts. These will
reduce accidents occurrences in the workshops and its environment as its users
will be conscious of activities to be carried out.
Workshop users should
be informed by relevant authorities such as Nigerian Institute of Safety
Professionals (NISP) on the effect of accident occurrences in technical
colleges. This will enhance carefulness and alertness in the workshop and its
environment for quality instructional delivery in technical colleges.
Safety experts should
be employed in technical college to educate the users of the workshop
especially on areas concerning accident preventive measures. This will ensure
durability of facilities and improves quality in instructional delivery in the
college.