ABSTRACT
Nursing is a uniquely hazardous occupation; nurses and healthcare personnel are on the frontline of numerous occupational hazards and are most vulnerable to occupational health hazards in the work place. In the nursing profession, the types of health hazards encountered are varied. This study was carried out on assessment of knowledge on occupational health hazards and safety practices among nurses in a selected tertiary healthcare institution in Benin city, Edo state. The study was outlined into five chapters. The study adopted the survey research design, and convenient sampling method was used to select two hundred and seventyeight (278) nurses currently practicing in professional capacity towards providing nursing care to patients and clients in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo state. A wellstructured questionnaire was used as instrument of data collection. Analysis and interpretation of data were discussed, using tables with percentage and means to represent the information. The result from the study indicates that 250 nurses, accounting for 95%, possess good knowledge of occupational health hazards and safety practices, whereas only 14 nurses, or 5%, have poor knowledge in this area. Also, the study indicate that 223 nurses, representing 84.5%, practice high levels of safety measures and control for occupational health, while 41 nurses, or 15.5%, demonstrates low levels of these practices. It further revealed that 193 (85.6%) nurses believe that challenges significantly influence their practices of control and preventive measures for occupational health hazards, while 33 (14.4%) do not perceive these challenges as influential. KEYWORDS: Occupational Health Hazard, Knowledge, Safety Practice, Nursing, Nurses
