CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Study
The environment in which a worker stays to perform duties assigned to him or her can either boost or mar his performance in terms of work productivity. Work environment, for the purpose of this study, is categorized into two viz; the physical and non-physical environment. The physical work environment includes office building, fixtures and fittings, refuse and sewage disposal facilities, water supply, lighting, canteen, drainage systems, grassland and vegetation, amongst others. The non-physical environment is made up of air, noise and weather. The quality of this environment affects the health of the worker and invariably productivity. They are referred to as the non-physical environment mainly because they constitute part of the natural environment which cannot be seen visibly with the human eyes, yet, they impact heavily on human life (Etuk, 2006).
Air for instance is very essential to life, but continuous exposure to polluted air endangers life. Air pollution produced when fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas are burnt by chlorofluorocarbons, noise produced by vehicles, heavy machinery, aircrafts and humans. Burning of fossil fuels occurs in electrical power plants, factories, mining and metal extraction industries, incinerators, motor vehicles etc. They are dangerous to health when released in the form of gases, smoke, soot, dust and grit.Another component of the non-physical environment is noise. Any sound that is unpleasant and irritating is called noise. Noise pollution is common is busy towns, cities, markets and even including tertiary institutions. The loudness of sound is measured in decibels (db) Osayingbemi (1991). Noise that goes on continuously for a long time can make humans tired and irritable, cause headache and prevent people from sleeping properly. Over long periods, this kind of strain can cause illness especially mental illness.
Noise is also linked to high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Constant exposure to noise above 85 decibels can cause permanent loss of hearing. Sudden explosive noise over 150 decibels may cause deafness. In quarries, airports and factories where noise levels cannot be completely reduced, the workers are advised to wear ear-muffs as a precaution to prevent loss of hearing or deafness.The third aspect of the non-physical environment, weather refers to the coldness, dryness or hotness of the living environment in relation to their effect on human life. Excessively cold weather condition can cause pneumonia while exposure to excessively hot weather can lead to meningitis and sudden death. Thus the non-physical environment is as equally important as the physical one. The physical and the non-physical work environment has effects on worker’s wellbeing and productivity, Ekpu (2006).Every organization expects maximum positive productivity from her workforce.
This is partly because low or poor manpower productivity has serious negative consequences on the attainment of predetermined corporate goals and objectives. For an educational institution like the University, high manpower productivity could manifest positive results such as effective security of lives and property in the institution, qualitative academic profile, unity of purpose among staff, improved employee skills, and so on, Achalu (1995).Productivity according to Barber and Donovan (1977) also has behavioural consequences. For instance, morale tends to be high when people perceive themselves to be productive but not subject to exorbitant work demands within a poor work environment, conversely, morale tends to dampen when an organization achieves low productivity.
Therefore, it is necessary for an organization to create an environment conducive to workers’ health and productivity.Thus, this study is an inquiry into workers’ health and productivity in a challenging work environment using security staff in selected tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Key issues to be discussed include conditions necessary for good workers’ health and productivity, factors that hinder good workers’ health and productivity, the challenges in the work environment of security personnel in tertiary institutions, and ways to tackle inherent challenges in the security work environment towards promoting good health and productivity.