Project Materials

AN ASSESSMENT OF COVID-19 SAFETY COMPLIANCE LEVEL AMONG INDUSTRIAL WORKERS

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Covid-19, a pandemic of severe respiratory disease, swept the globe. The viral disease is rapidly spreading around the world. The virus spreads through droplet transmission, contact with an infected person, or contact with contaminated fomites. The disease was initially identified when a cluster of pneumonia outbreaks was reported in late December 2019 from Wuhan, China.

A new human coronavirus (HCoV) was identified as a beta coronavirus and designated 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by next-generation sequencing technologies.

On February 11, 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses designated the virus “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus” (SARS-CoV2), while the World Health Organisation termed it COVID-19.

The outbreak of fatal respiratory illnesses in Wuhan, China sparked speculation that SARS-CoV2 was a laboratory-manipulated virus; however, a study published in Nature Medicine on March 17, 20 by Andersen et al. concluded that SARS-CoV2 is not a laboratory-constructed or manipulated virus based on the RBD on SARS-CoV2.

SARS-CoV-2 possesses an RBD that is highly similar to ACE2 from humans, ferrets, cats, and other species with high receptor homology. Coronaviruses are viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to WHO (2019).

It was originally passed from animals to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals who have not yet infected humans. The evolution of these viruses in Nigeria has put the government in a difficult position.

As a result, the government made severe decisions and implemented legislation requiring all individuals and sectors, including industries, to comply with the worldwide Covid-19 requirements or face legal penalties.

However, the prevalence of law evasion in Nigeria is alarming; many local and infant enterprises play big roles in law evasion in Nigeria since they believe in bribes and are found breaking the law.

On the other hand, Nigerian law enforcement authorities are significant players in corruption and so fail to carry out their jobs severely and effectively as a result of demands for bribery pay.

Thus, in light of the foregoing, this study is being conducted to investigate the rate at which industrial workers in Nigeria adhere to Covid-19 safety procedures.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Covid-19’s hazardous and fatal nature has necessitated various limits and prevention measures to limit its global spread, as the virus has the potential to kill an individual within 7 days of contact (WHO 2019).

As a result of the Covid-19 experience in Nigeria, the government enacted legislation requiring residents to follow Covid-19 preventative measures.

Furthermore, these measures apply to all sectors of the economy and organisations, including industries located within the country. However, because most industrial tasks are complicated in nature, they cannot be completed while adhering to most of the covid-19 criteria, such as social separation, constant hand washing, and regular cleaning of surfaces with which they come into touch.

On this basis, the researcher seeks to determine the extent to which industrial workers are required to follow the Covid-19 guidelines.