World Journal of Engineering Research and Technology

Kelvin Odeyovwi Ayobi, Christopher Onosemuode, Tarela Juliet Ike, Evangelyn Ebi Ayobi, Peremi Richmond Ike, Idowu Adigun Amusa*

ABSTRACT

Occupational fatigue is a critical, yet significantly under-researched, public health concern in the Nigerian railway industry. Railway workers are routinely exposed to hazardous noise levels, demanding psychosocial environments, and various physical stressors that cumulatively predispose them to chronic occupational fatigue. Noise, a pervasive environmental hazard in railway operations, has been recognised globally as a key contributor to worker fatigue, reduced vigilance, cognitive impairment, and diminished occupational safety. Despite rising investments in Nigeria's rail infrastructure, particularly the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS), little empirical attention has been directed toward understanding the relationship between occupational noise exposure and fatigue among Nigerian railway workers. This study examined the association between noise exposure and occupational fatigue among railway workers within the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). A cross-sectional quantitative research design was adopted. A total of 305 railway workers across 12 train stations were recruited using Slovin's formula and multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using the Smith Wellbeing Survey (SWELL), a validated 27-item questionnaire. Noise levels were measured in nine sample locations aboard diesel-powered trains during 72 days of round trips. Statistical analyses included weighted averages, relative risk (RR), absolute risk (AR), Pearson's correlation, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. The Demands, Resources, and Individual Effects (DRIVE) model guided the conceptual framework. Noise levels at all nine sample locations aboard the train ranged from 90.46 dB to 102.15 dB, significantly exceeding WHO guidelines (54 dB) and Nigeria's NESREA regulatory limit of 70 dB. Seventy-two percent (72%) of workers reported high exposure to noise and vibration, with a relative risk (RR) of 2.60 and an absolute risk (AR) of 72%, both indicating high risk for occupational fatigue. Train drivers recorded the highest noise-related exposure risk (RR = 18.50; AR = 95%). Pearson's correlation revealed a strong positive association between noise/vibration exposure and occupational fatigue (r = 0.81, p < 0.01). Noise exposure constitutes a major physical health risk for occupational fatigue among railway workers in Nigeria. The exceedance of regulatory noise thresholds across all sampling points, combined with strong statistical associations between noise and fatigue, underscores the urgency of engineering controls, personal protective equipment provision, regular maintenance of locomotives, and institutional policy reforms within the Nigerian Railway Corporation. Addressing occupational fatigue is fundamental to improving worker well-being, productivity, and the overall safety of railway transportation in Nigeria.

[Full Text Article] [Download Certificate] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20454728