Causes of stress in vehicle manufacturing employees and perceptions of the effectiveness of a stress management intervention programme

Background: Stress has become a part of everyday life for most employees. Studies have shown the negative effect that stress has on employee wellbeing. Stress management intervention (SMI) programmes are commonly implemented by organisations to reduce work-related stressors, as well as to assist employees to cope with and minimise the impact of stress. Objectives: We aimed to explore the causes of stress at a vehicle manufacturing company, and the perceptions of employees about the effectiveness of an SMI programme. Methods: A qualitative interpretive approach was followed, using a case study design. The research was conducted at a vehicle manufacturing company in Pretoria, South Africa; eleven purposively sampled permanent white- and blue-collared employees who had participated in an SMI programme were included. Data were collected from personal interviews and a focus group discussion. The data were analysed using the ATLAS.ti software. Results: Some of the causes of stress in the workplace, identified by the participants, were company ethics and culture, interpersonal conflict, management style, deadlines, workload, type of job, job profiles, job insecurity, incompetence of employees, lack of resources, and remuneration. Most participants (90.9%) evaluated the SMI as being very effective. Conclusion: The causes of stress amongst workers are multifactorial. Effective SMIs can assist to alleviate stress and to equip employees with skills to manage stress. This promotes a healthy workforce and increases productivity. If SMIs are not implemented effectively, there might be loss in productivity, increased absenteeism, and deteriorating health in the workforce

Evaluation of Occupational Health Services and Hazards in a Car Assembly Plant in Kaduna; Nigeria

Background: The provision of occupational health services in most industries of the developing world has been very rudimentary. Various factors have been adduced to be responsible for this, none availability of protective devices, non-compliance by workers and managerial problems among others. Therefore this study was conducted to evaluate occupational hazards and the provision of occupational health services at Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Kaduna.Aim: To assess the extent of occupational hazards and the occupational health services provided by the industry (PAN). Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study in which cluster sampling technique was used to sample respondents. Structured, interviewer administered questionnaires with close ended questions were used to collect data.Results: One hundred and ten respondents participated in the study with a mean age of 32.7±2.8 years. Use of protective devices by respondents was: boots 96.3%, hand gloves 100%, and ear plugs 58% respectively. Pattern of occupational hazards were: exposure to chemical fumes 6.4%, noise pollution 40.9%, and chemical burns 9.1% respectively. Conclusion: Occupational hazards and injuries among PAN workers are a frequent occurrence. There is need for sustained public awareness campaigns among the workers and management on the importance of occupational safety to guide against injuries/ accidents at work sites and compliance to the use of protective devices. It is also recommended that the Inspectorate Division of Federal Ministry of Industries should pay periodic monitoring visits to industries in order to ensure a conducive and a safe working environment and also with the facility Act and related laws so as to curtail the rate of accidents and injures in Nigerian industries