ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to find out safety practice needs of metalwork students in Technical Colleges in Ondo state. To achieve the objectives of the study, five research questions guided the study and five hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. Literature relating to the study was organized under the following headings. Conceptual frame work, theoretical frame work, empirical review, and summary of the literature review. The design was a survey research design. The instrument for data collection was a researcher made questionnaire which contain fifty-five items grouped under five components parts namely: Safety practice skill needs in handling metals, safety practice skills needs in using hand tools, safety practice skill needs in handling gas welding equipment and safety practice skill needs in handling arc welding equipment. The original draft of the instrument was subjected to face validation by three experts. The result of the hypothesis showed that there was no significance difference between the mean ratings of the group of respondents on the safety practice skill needed by metalwork students in all the five areas of metalwork in Technical Colleges in Ondo state. Based on findings and discussion, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In every aspect of a job, workers require relevant skills for effective performance. The attainment of safety practice skills by metalwork students in Technical Colleges is an essential prerequisite for effective use of tools and machines in the workshop. A skilled metalworker is not just someone who can produce any metal article correctly; such metalworker must be someone who can complete every job safely (Oranu, Nwoke and Ogwo 2002). Safety starts with good decision making in every aspect of job.
According to Olaitan, Nwachukwu, Igbo, Onyemachi and Ekong (1999), safety is the art of taking precaution for the avoidance or reduction of accidents in order to protect people and property. Oranu, Nkowe and Ogwo (2002), defined safety as the ability to perform every simple task involved in a job without causing damage to tools, equipment or materials used in performing the task. Thus, safety practice is the repeated exercise with necessary precautionary measures exhibited for the purpose of preventing accidents while performing a particular task. Practice therefore means repeating something to get better or to do something repeatedly in other to improve performance. For
one to succeed in practicing safety and performing well with little
1
or no record of accidents in metal workshop, certain related skills are required.
Okorie (2000), defined skill as a manual dexterity through repetitive performance of an operation. Skill is a well-established habit of doing something and it involves the acquisition of performance capabilities (Osinem 2008). This implies that skill involves well-established habit of doing things. In this study, skill is the ability of metalwork students in Technical Colleges to establish good habit of demonstrating safety in the workshop by acting, thinking and behaving well in order to be saved from both minor and major accidents while involving in any operation or job that is related to metalwork.
Metalwork, according to Hornby (2000), is the activity of making objects out of metal in an artistic and skillful way. Oranu, et al (2002), defined metalwork as activity
in occupation that entail designing, processing and fabrication of metal products. Metalwork is one of the vocational subjects or course which offered in Technical Colleges to produce craftmen.
Abubakar (1998), defined Technical College as the institution which provides recipients through training with adequate knowledge, skills and attitude for gainful employment under the guidance of the teacher in related occupations. Technical Colleges are regarded as principal vocational institutions in Nigeria (Okoro, 1999). According to Okoro, Technical College gives full vocational training intended to prepare students for entry into various occupations. Hence, the
students of Technical College particular in metalwork after acquiring necessary knowledge and skills may become metalworkers in industries upon graduation.
Hornby (2000), described metalworker as a person who is highly skilled in producing objects with metal. Therefore, metalworker is the person who is skilled in producing objects with metal to meet the changing test to the consumers in a society. A metalworker is an individual with sound knowledge and competent in the management of resources for economic gain in any organization or industry that deals with the production of variety of metal articles or objects.
Statement of the Problem
Metalwork is purely a practical oriented course which require safety practice skills. The negative attitude of metalwork students in Technical Colleges in Ondo State towards safety practice cannot be over emphasized with respect to human resources development in Nigeria.
Due to lost of tools and machines as well as incessant occurrence of accidents that lead to sustenance of injuries, many students have been skeptical to participate in practical activities in metal workshop. Yakubu (2004), confirmed that students of Technical Colleges often absent themselves from school during practical lessons. This, according to Yakubu was attributed to the accidents the students observed from their colleagues. Similarly, damages to tools and machines as well as accidents occurrence in
metal workshop in Technical Colleges in Ondo State seem to have instilled fear into the students which has made them to be absent from practical work. The safety practice skills required by metalwork students of Technical Colleges in Ondo State which could be meant to arrest the occurrence of accidents and damages to tools and machines may be lacking. This however may be responsible for the poor habit of safety practices in metal workshop in the state.
Most of the tools, equipment and machines damaged due to lack of safety practices skills by metalwork students are imported ones and the parts are costly and not easy to purchase or replace. As a result of non functional machines, students were left with the alternative of using manual operations to carry out some practical activities which have invariably resulted to low quality of production. Therefore, it has become necessary to determine safety practice skill needs of metalwork students in Technical Colleges in Ondo State.
Purpose of the Study.
The purpose of the study is to determine the skill needs in safety practice by metalwork students in Technical Colleges in Ondo State. Specifically the study will find out:
1. The safety practice skills needed in handling metals
2. The safety practice skills needed in using hand tools.
3. The safety practice skills needed in machine tool operations.
4. The safety practice skills needed in handling gas welding equipment.
5. The safety practice skills needed in handling arc welding equipment.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to curriculum developers in metalwork programme, self- employed in metalwork, metalwork companies/industries, metalwork teachers, parents, community or society and students in Technical Education Programmes, particularly students in metalwork.
The curriculum developers will benefit from the findings of the study on the safety practice skills required that could be incorporated into the metalwork curriculum which will thereby be used for effective training of students in Technical Colleges.
The findings of the study will help the self-employed in metalwork. This could help them to be safety conscious in their daily activities at work.
The findings of the study will equally be of assistance to metalwork industries. This could provide information to them on how to be more safety conscious which will as well be helpful in reducing accidents, damage to tools and machines.
The findings of the study will be of great benefit to metalwork teachers. This could enable them to ascertain the areas where emphasis will be laid during the training in
metalwork safety practices for students, particularly in the use of hand tools, materials and safety relating to equipment or machines.
The findings of the study will be of benefit to parents. This could assist them when their wards or children who successfully gain employment through the knowledge and safety practice skills acquired, are making returns to them financially and materially.
The findings of the study will be of benefit to the community or society. This could be of help or benefit to the society when the students are gainfully employed which will serve as a way of reducing undesirable behaviours, as well as contributing to the economic growth of the society through their productivity.
The findings of the study will create safety awareness to students of Technical Education programmes and more importantly to students of metalwork in Technical Colleges as well as other students in metal working environment.
Research Questions
The following research questions are formulated to guide the study:
1. What are the safety practice skills needed in handling metals?
2. What are the safety practice skills needed in using hand tools?
3. What are the safety practice skills needed in machine tool operations?
4. What are the safety practice skills needed in handling gas welding equipment?
5. What are the safety practice skills needed in handling arc welding equipment
Hypotheses
H01: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of metalwork teachers and metalworkers in industries on the safety practice skills needed in handling metals.
H02: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of metalwork teachers and metal workers in industries on the safety practice skills needed in using
hand tools.
H03: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of metalwork teachers and metal workers in industries on the safety practice skills needed in
machine tool operations.
H04:There is no significant difference between the mean responses of metalwork teachers and metal workers in industries on the safety practice skills needed in handling gas welding equipment.
H05: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of metalwork teachers and metal workers in industries on the safety practice skills needed in handling
arc welding equipment.
Delimitation of the Study
The study is delimited to safety practices skills needed in handling metals, using hand tools, machine tool operations, handling Gas welding equipment and handling Arc welding equipment. It is also restricted to the collection of information from metalwork teachers and metalworkers in Ondo state.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
SAFETY PRACTICE SKILL NEEDS OF METALWORK STUDENTS IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN ONDO STATE
PROJECTOPICS.com Support Team Are Always (24/7) Online To Help You With Your Project
Chat Us on WhatsApp » 07035244445
DO YOU NEED CLARIFICATION? CALL OUR HELP DESK:
07035244445 (Country Code: +234)YOU CAN REACH OUR SUPPORT TEAM VIA MAIL: [email protected]