NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
Health Implications of Exposure to Low Temperature among Fish Coldroom Workers in Ido and Ibadan Southwest Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State, Nigeria

Coldroom operations are essential in preserving fish and other perishable goods, and coldroom operators are crucial in maintaining the facilities. This study assessed the health implication of exposure to low temperature among fish coldroom workers in Ido and Ibadan Southwest Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State, Nigeria. This cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample size of 150 workers that were selected using a multi-stage sampling techniques. In the first stage, two (2) LGAs - Ido and Ibadan Southwest - were randomly selected from the thirty-three (33) LGAs. In the second stage, proportionate sampling was done based on the number of available coldrooms in the study areas. Thirty-eight (38) and twelve (12) coldrooms were randomly selected from Ibadan Southwest and Ido LGAs respectively. In the third stage, three (3) respondents were purposively selected from each of the facilities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the workforce in the coldrooms consist predominantly of the male gender (68.7%) with mean age of 30.46±6.99 years. The workers had 4.58±2.93 average years of experience and they always spend an average of 6.23±2.41 hours daily. The majority of the workers (84%) had access to ear and eye protection equipment while thermal boots were provided for 88.7% of them. Majority of the respondents (80.7%) reported frequent catarrh and nasal congestion, although, some of them (67.3%) found the temperature control in the coldrooms to be adequate. There were significant associations in catarrh and nasal congestion (p=0.009), frostbite condition (p = 0.027) and duration spent in the coldroom per day among the fish coldroom workers. Even though, some personnel protective equipment were provided by the coldroom owners, there were reported health issues by the respondents because the workers are not used to them. Therefore, coldroom owners should regularly organize training programs for the workers in order to improve level of compliance with safety protocols by the workers.