Return-to-Work Program Management Following Occupational Injury in Petroleum Companies in Rivers State

Return-to-work (RTW) programs following occupational injury are essential components of comprehensive occupational health management, offering both clinical recovery and organizational productivity benefits. This study evaluated the design, application, and outcomes of RTW programs in selected petroleum companies operating in Rivers State, South South Nigeria. An evaluative mixed-methods design was employed, with 35 occupational health managers and safety officers from nine petroleum companies participating in structured interviews, and 60 recovered injured workers completing a validated RTW program quality assessment tool. Results showed that formalized RTW programs existed in only 51.4 percent of companies and were largely limited to large multinational operators. Program components such as graduated work reintegration, functional capacity evaluation, and occupational therapy referral were implemented in fewer than a third of programs. Workers in informal contractor companies received no structured RTW support in 83.3 percent of cases. Psychosocial support during recovery was provided by only 22.9 percent of companies. Outcomes data showed a 34.2 percent re-injury rate among workers who returned without formal RTW programs versus 11.7 percent among those who completed structured programs. The study recommends RTW program standardization across the petroleum sector, regulatory inclusion of RTW provisions in NUPENG and PENGASSAN collective agreements, and capacity building for occupational health teams on RTW case management. Keywords: return-to-work, occupational injury, petroleum sector, rehabilitation, Rivers State.