THE ATTITUDES OF EMPLOYEES TOWARD HEALTH, SECURITY, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT DURING INSTALLATIONS OF TANKS AND PIPELINES IN A FUEL DEPOT IN LUBUMBASHI AIRPORT, DRC

Abstract

Lubumbashi was chosen for this study because it is the second largest city in Katanga Province in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The province is well known for the mining of many precious minerals like gold, diamond, and copper among others. The mining companies use an immense quantity of fuel, bulk diesel in their operations and aviation for their aircrafts. In the study, the target was the whole population of employees in four companies in Lubumbashi Airport. There were two fuel depot construction companies, a fuel transporter and a fuel depot. The study picked all the companies that were contracted to work in an operational fuel depot under construction. One of the researchers during the study was an Operations Manager in the fuel depot. A balance had to be done between seamless operations which were at the same time risk free. This was despite the dangers brought about by the ongoing construction which was a safety risky. It made it necessary therefore for every respondent to be targeted in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and observation of operations. This was to ensure that every employee under target in the study is covered. The respondents were given the freedom to fill the questionnaires. The data collected were then fed into a computer and processed using the software SPSS version 20 for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inference. The findings were presented by the use of tables, figures, and bar charts which are detailed and shown in the study. This was to ensure that there was a proper understanding of the research. The details of the findings are well recorded. The three subcontracted companies were allowed to operate in a fuel depot with a lean staff for safety reasons. Of those interviewed, it was only 61 of them who agreed to return the questionnaires out of a target population of 115. This was a 53% response rate which was quite good considering the busy operations that were on going. The majority of the respondents, 98.4% were men while the rest 1.6% were female. As per the compliance to health, safety and environment, many respondents had not undergone training. This is because it was only 10.9% who had done emergency drills while 3.2% did not see the need of knowing contents in fuel tanks. Alternatively, a good number of the respondents valued the importance of safety gear, 91.2%. There is need for regular training of employees to avert serious cases of fire and accidents; since the facility falls under sensitive project in EIA/EA (Environmental Impact Assessment/Environmental Audit). The researchers recommend regular Environmental Audits from certified environmental Lead Experts. Keywords: safety and health, fuel depot, work environment, attitude, employees & pipeline.