Occupational Health Risk Management in the Poultry Farming Industry in Ogun State

Poultry farm workers face significant and multifaceted occupational health risks including exposure to biological agents, organic dusts, ammonia, and zoonotic infections, yet formal risk management practices remain rare in Nigeria's growing poultry sector. This study assessed occupational health risk management practices in poultry farms in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. An evaluative cross-sectional design was employed, with 40 farm health officers, farm managers, and biosecurity personnel from 20 commercial poultry operations in Abeokuta and Sagamu participating through structured questionnaires and on-site hazard assessments. Biological risk was rated as the highest concern by 87.5 percent of respondents, driven by avian influenza preparedness gaps and direct litter handling without biological protection. Ammonia exposure in broiler and layer units exceeded recommended thresholds in 70 percent of assessed houses. Respiratory symptoms were reported by 72.5 percent of workers with more than two years of poultry exposure. Only 32.5 percent of farms had implemented a formal occupational health risk management plan, and none had conducted a documented zoonotic disease risk assessment. The study recommends the development of a poultry-sector occupational health risk management guideline by NAFDAC and the Nigerian Poultry Association, mandatory biosafety training for all farm workers, and the establishment of occupational health monitoring protocols for avian influenza and Newcastle disease exposure. Keywords: poultry farming, occupational health risk, zoonotic disease, ammonia exposure, Ogun State.