ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS EXPOSURE AMONG MEDICAL RADIOLOGICAL WORKERS IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS, NIGERIA.

In the field of medicine, radiation hazards become an inescapable issue because health personnel are exposed at every point, which ranges from meeting the patient, diagnosis to treatment. Aim: This study aimed to assess the extent of occupational hazard exposure among medical radiological workers in the Port Harcourt metropolis of Rivers State. Six (6) research questions were stated and answered in this study. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted as the research design. The sample size of 314 was determined using the Cochran formula method. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the study, which was presented in three stages selecting the sample for the study. A self-structured questionnaire titled Questionnaire on Assessment of Occupational Hazards among Medical Radiological Workers (QAOHSPMRW) was administered. The reliability coefficient value of 0.82 was obtained using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The collected data were coded and analyzed using Statistical Products for Service Solution (version 25.0). Results: The results illustrated that 269 (85.7%) respondents had high physical hazards and 45 (14.3%) had low physical hazards. The result showed that 231 (73.6 %) of the respondents had high chemical hazards and 83 (26.4 %) had low chemical hazards. The results also indicated that 273 (86. %) of the respondents had high biological hazards and 41 (13.1%) had low chemical hazards. The results showed that 260 (82.8%) respondents had high ergonomic hazards and 54 (17.2 %) had low ergonomic hazards. The results showed that 76 (24.2%) of the radiological workers had high psychosocial hazards and 238 (75. %) had low psychosocial hazards. The result showed that 220 (70 %) of the respondents had high mechanical hazards and 94 (30 %) had low mechanical hazards. Conclusion and Recommendation: The extent of occupational hazards exposure among radiological workers was very high. The study recommended that the Ministry of Health should form a monitoring and inspection team through the hospital management board check for compliance with safety precautionary measures in different health facilities, including medical radiological centers