Appraisal Of The Application Of Health And Safety Measures In Stores Operation

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Cases on the accident in store depend highly on the materials in store, the manner in which stores personnel carry out their day to day tasks and the stores environment itself.
Generally accidents do not just occur they are caused through error of omission or commission. It therefore be hoofs on management to remove all known and possible causes of accident from work analyze hazard and risk where necessary recommend actions to avoid present and future occurrence.
Large number of working days are lost every year because of accident at work.
Therefore the management should bring a comprehensive policy statement on health and safety to the attention of his employees.
The company’s policy will then help people to be more aware of the dangers and risks involve in working in stores.
The overall objective of the company’ policy is to prevent life at work, reduce accident, create safety awareness and consciousness towards materials, equipment and environment with a view of eliminating operational lost of time, pain and suffering.
The policies when implement will help to ensure safety of all store personnel in the performance of their duties and other people entering the store.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
There is no application of safety measure in the organization.
The organization does not take safety measure serious as can be seen from the fact that there is no safety measure officer in their organization.
There are no competent and qualified personnel in the area of the subject matter to handle safety and health issues more a worth responsible for safety and health issues.
The organization has done little to promote safety and health matters; there is no seminar or workshops being organized for workers on the subject matter.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
To find out the extent of application of safety and health measures in the organization.
To find out management psychology with respect to health and safety matters.
To investigate into the qualifications, experience, and the competency of the workforce as to ascertain their contribution otherwise in the health and safety matters.
To suggest ways of improving health and safety issues in the organization
To educate management and staff alike on the need for health and safety application in their daily operation.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
On completion of this research work the following persons or group will benefit immensely from
1. The researcher, this work is a requirement by NBTE for the award high natural diploma certificate. In purchasing and supply and therefore without this research work the researcher will not obtain this certificate.
Also this exercise has provided an opportunity for the researcher to acquire skills in project and research. If the researcher is faced with similar situation in the future he will not be seen as a novice in research writing.
2. To other students, it will go a long way to provide with the necessary data they may require for research work in the future.
3. To the firm of the case study this work on completion would provide an instrument of measures that will enable them to know if what they have been doing is right or otherwise as far as health and safety measures is concerned on completion, of this work it will create some degree of curiosity in the minds of these firms in the industry that have not taken health and safety measure serious and this may lead to a change of heart.

1.5 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Stores in John Holt Plc like most general importers / manufacturing organization represent above of its assets.
It is the function of stores management to provide adequate security which cover not only theft and fraud but other related hazards such as stock deterioration, fire damage and accident.
The stores like the heart in human body acts as source of supply to other functional units of the organization. Even though it provides a will reflected in the overall efficiency of the organization and serve functions of its services or task. It therefore implies that an effective management of stores will eliminate unsafe acts, duplication of efforts, handling of materials and creates a conducive working environment for employees
In the light of this, the objective of this research study is to critically look into the following cases.
a. Safety consciousness in the organization in general and the stores in particular.
b. Major causes of accident in the company .
c. Method adopted to prevent accident.
d. Efforts of management through policy guidance to prevent accidents.
To investigate and analyse other feasible measures to prevent and promote safety practices in the organization.

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
In order for this research to give accurate direction to the reader, other researchers and planners, it becomes expedient to formulate some research questions on which the conclusion would be based.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study should have taken you to all the firm in admitting the fact that I am a student and at the same time working is not possible for me to visit all the firm within the industry.
To this effect, the researcher decided to concentrate on the application of health and safety measure in John Holt Plc Port Harcourt.
In this organization the researcher interacted with the marketing department

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY.
The researcher was confronted with various obstacles in the course of carrying out his investigation and collection.
One of such obstacles was difficulties in getting information from employees as most of them were reluctant to reveal such information.
In addition, since the researcher’s study revolve more on management policy, most do not attend to the researcher. The few ones the researcher got to fill the questionnaires were gotten after several calls. Concerning oral interview most of them could not say anything as there were so many time robbers pestering them”
Another major constraint encountered was finance. As a result of hyper inflation most of the materials used had their prices sky-rocketed.
Moreover, transportation has also gone up. Some times where there is traffic , the researcher has to board a bike popularly known as “Okada” in order to meet up appointments.

1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
To ease the complexity in the use of some terms in this study. Some major terms have been defined as used in the context.
1. STORE: This is an area in an organization where various kinds of materials needed for production, distribution, maintenance packaging and general administration etc are kept and issued to users.
2. MATERIAL HANDLING: This embraces the movement, handling and storage of material including raw materials, components and supporting goods in stores regardless of shape size, form, nature or weight.
3. SPECIFICATION: A detailed description of materials including all features or attributes which guarantee fitness of purpose of the materials when put to use.
4. STOCK YARD: An open storage area where materials that do not suffer attack from the natural elements are stored.
5. OBSOLESCENCE: A process through which an item undergo before becoming obsolete. While obsolete items are those which are not required because requirements have changed.
6. STORAGE: This means storage of materials. Storage of materials entails adequate and correct location of items in accordance with manufacturers storage of instruction and demand of great deals of skill and understanding on part of store staff.
7. HIGH RISK MATERIAL: These are materials like explosive, petrol, oil chemical etc that requires special attention in terms of storage.