Most of the participants made comments that indicated robust and effective arrangements for HWS at organisation ‘A’. The narrative accounts of the arrangements were mostly positive; however, the participants used different words and contexts to describe the situation. Some of the comments relating to these are quoted below. For example, the head of the Pension division, a male from the North Central geopolitical zone of the country who had served at the study location for 10 years, expressed the following:
In terms of arrangements and structure, the health and safety of ‘A’ is in order and in line with the international best practice. (AP21)
Male 45%
Female 55%
0%
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As far as this participant was concerned, ‘A’ is performing at its optimal best, determined by measuring the HWS accomplishment against international best practice, as this is the ultimate standard.
Also, the head of the Human Resources division (male, from the North East region), who had worked at the study location for 14 years, was able to relate the success of HWS arrangements to the structure put in place by ‘A’s management:
I can gladly say that one of the best achievements of this management is the HSE performance. (AP4)
Additionally, the head of the Finance division, a male from the North West region, who had worked for two years at the study location, used the level of support that employees enjoy (plus the welfare package) as determinant factors or successful indices for HWS performance at ‘A’:
Generally, I could say that the staff enjoy a high level of welfare and wellbeing support, and support for their health and safety. (AP5)
Moreover, the ability to access assured competent HWS professionals was what convinced the Marine division secretary (a female from the North Central region, who had worked at the study location for nine years) to positively acknowledge organisation ‘A’s HWS arrangements. This may not be guaranteed in appreciable numbers of private health organisations in Nigeria. They mostly employ poorly trained or unqualified and non-registered health staff in order to save costs;
trained professionals get higher pay. In the participant’s words,
‘A’ helps the staff a lot … but you are sure that you get the true professionals taking care of your health, doctors and nurses included.
(AP19)
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A female secretary in the Security division, from the South West region, who had spent a decade at the study location, used another government job as a basis for measuring the outcome and effectiveness of the HWS of ‘A’. This participant enumerated the different services/divisions that are provided with responsibilities to address HWS needs:
… this organisation is a good place to work when you compare it with other government jobs…we have the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment division to prevent sickness here at work and at home.
(AP11)
Also, a female secretary from the Legal division, and from the South South geopolitical zone, gave an account that strongly recognised the positive impact of HWS service on her personal health: “without the health and wellbeing programme, I probably would not have known that my blood pressure was rising to a dangerous level” (AP13). The ability of the occupational health team to identify the health challenges of this participant served as a major determinant factor. Also, the experience of an ergonomic assessment was used by a male secretary to the HSE division (from the South East geopolitical zone, with 13 years’ service at the study location) to demonstrate satisfaction with HWS at organisation ‘A’. This is in addition to some other things identified above by other respondents:
…the HSE team have come to my office to assess my seat and ensure it is in the correct posture at my table as I work (ergonomic assessments).
(AP15)
A female administrative secretary, from the South West region, who had served 11 years at the study location, used lack of clinic waiting time as a basis and a criterion of success for HWS performance at organisation ‘A’:
…get free consultations without queuing up to see the doctor, which is what happens in public hospitals… (AP16)
A female secretary from the Procurement division, who had served seven years at the study location and was from South West Nigeria, highlighted the level of
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training of HWS professionals as vital and a pointer towards successful achievement of HWS at organisation ‘A’:
…HSE staff are sent to tertiary institutions, which are mostly abroad, to train at master’s level in order to deliver a high-tech and best-practice level of care. (AP18)
The HSE policy is one of the crucial elements used to measure HWS performance by the divisional head of Special Duties. She is a female from the South West and had spent 22 years at the study location; she noted “We have HSE policy here and we recognise the need to have a healthy workforce for performance and the benefit of all” (AP20). Moreover, the ability to meet the essential needs of life through the arrangements and plans put in place by ‘A’ on HWS was what fascinated a female secretary at the Fire and Rescue division;
she is from South East Nigeria and had spent four years at the study location:
…there is a good welfare package for staff, it is a good place to work. With the package, the basic and essential needs of life can be met… (AP14) Opportunities for time out at work or varied leave opportunities for employees was considered a determinant of success for HWS at organisation ‘A’. The head of Finance from the North West region, with two years’ service at the study location, gave the following account:
Organisation ‘A’ has lots of support for staff welfare and when I needed time to rest, I was able to enjoy this opportunity. (AP5)
Contrary to the positive accounts of the effective and impressive occupational health, wellbeing and safety structure at organisation ‘A’, some of the participants gave negative and dissatisfied accounts. As a result, some participants, including a male secretary from the Audit division (from South West Nigeria, who had spent five years at the study location), identified areas for improvement as follows:
That department they call occupational health or HSE is trying but they need to do more things for us… you can see that too many people are in this office, very tight together with no free space… (AP10)
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This comment was made by this participant because of the current repair and renovation of the main headquarters of organisation ‘A’, which harbours an appreciable number of employees. This has led to significant displacement of staff and the situation is quite challenging and has derailed it from following best practice for health and safety. However, some of the employees still have access to suitable offices/workstations, as they were relocated to another building not too far from the main headquarters; but most remain in the building while the renovation and repairs are taking place.
Additionally, the head of the Marine division, a male from the South South region with six years’ service at the study location, shared his experience thus:
…imagine – for management to allow major repairs to be carried out during office hours is very frustrating to staff, including me. Is it the noise or the dust you want to talk about (exclaimed)? (AP9)
The approach to work by some departments was a major concern and a source of dissatisfaction in a participant’s account of HWS at organisation ‘A’. The following excerpts were taken from the account given by the head of the Pension Service division, a male from the North Central zone with 10 years’ service at the study location:
Some of the activities that are carried out to ensure HSW are executed in a ridiculous manner. I will give two instances. As you look round, here (pointing) you can see stacks of old documents that constitute various forms of hazard including fire, and rodent and cockroach infestations. The HSE team were contacted and they wrote their report, including the urgent relocation of the office or provision of emergency storage, but since then there has been no action. What baffles me is when X department wants to fumigate based on HSE recommendations – they do that without waiting for the work to finish. The type of chemicals being used has caused some of our staff to develop asthma while some have experienced exacerbation of symptoms…things are not so encouraging at all …office arrangements and congestion of staff due to the renovation project of the ‘A’ building
…the offices are so small compared with the number of people using the space… (AP21)
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Category 2: Health, wellbeing and safety (HWS): employees and