Abstract:
The study identified safety strategies required for effective utilization of tools and machines in
vehicle maintenance workshops. The study was conducted in three universities in Rivers State,
Nigeria. Population of the study consist of 30 respondents, comprises of 11 motor vehicle workshop
instructors drawn from University of Port Harcourt, 10 from Rivers State University and 9 from
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuelumini Port Harcourt. No sampling was taken
considering the manageable size. Two research questions were posed while two hypotheses were
equally formulated to guide the focus of the study. A self-developed instrument titled "Safety
Strategies Required in Vehicle Maintenance Unit' (SSRVMU)" was designed to elicit information.
The instrument was content validated by three experts. Mean and standard deviation were used to
answer the research questions while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using the
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test statistics. The finding revealed six causes of workshop
accidents in the vehicle maintenance unit of the mechanical engineering workshop which includes
untidy environment, wrong use of tools, fatigue/tiredness, over confidence, carelessness of the
students/instructors among others mechanical engineering workshops in Rivers State. The finding
further revealed 20 preventive measures suitable to curl workshop accidents in vehicle maintenance
unit of the mechanical engineering workshops which include do not run round the workshop, stop the
machine after operation, give the machine undivided attention during operation, do not make
alarming noise in the workshop, wear industries protection clothing coat or apron among others.
Based on these findings, it was recommended that, the Government should make available safety
gadgets to instructors, students and other workshop operators in the vehicle maintenance unit of
mechanical engineering workshops in Universities. The motor vehicle mechanic industries should
liase with the university authorities with the aim to annually sensitise workshop instructors and
vehicle maintenance students on the need to be safety conscious and always apply accident
preventive measures during operation in the workshop.
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