Abstract

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is a major health hazard in explorative industries. This is exacerbated by observed low hazard awareness and self-adherence measures among quarry workers. Specifically, this qualitative paper examined whether safety policy adopted by management of quarry industry have led to self-adherence to safety, to determine if knowledge of particulate hazard promotes safety-adherence to safety, and to uncover whether cardio respiratory symptoms experienced by quarry workers are resultant effects of exposure to PM among quarry workers.28 purposively selected middle aged, male quarry workers without history of underlying illness prior to their employment at the quarry, and who have been employed for a minimum of three years at Setraco Nigeria limited, Ugwuele Uturu, Nigeria, were purposively selected and sampled. Using Pearson’s Chi-square (χ²) statistical tool for the test of three formulated hypotheses, results of showed that; flexible safety policy (X² = 1.95; df= 1; N= 28; P= <0.05) and inadequate information on the medical implications of PM (X² = 11.97; df= 1; N= 28; P= <0.05)influenced low-self-adherence, while cardio respiratory symptoms experienced by quarry workers are results of exposure to PM(X² = 6.61; df= 1; N= 28; P= <0.05).It was recommended that, management of quarry industry should re-evaluate their safety policy by incorporating public health officials into future safety training programs with the aim of drawing quarry workers self-consciousness to the implications of PM to human health.

Keywords: Cardio Respiratory System; Hazard Awareness; Particulate Matter; Quarry; Self-adherence