Assessment of Workshop Safety and Ergonomic Conditions in Motor Vehicle Maintenance Garages in Kano Metropolis

Motor vehicle maintenance garages in Kano metropolis employ tens of thousands of workers across a predominantly informal and unregulated occupational environment in which musculoskeletal disorders, chemical exposures, and accident risks are commonplace but systematically undocumented. This study assesses workshop safety conditions and ergonomic risk factors in 20 randomly selected motor vehicle maintenance garages across Kano metropolis using a structured multi-method diagnostic approach. Safety conditions were evaluated using a standardised inspection checklist covering floor condition, ventilation, electrical safety, fire extinguisher provision, and personal protective equipment availability. Ergonomic risk assessment was conducted using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment method to evaluate working postures during six representative maintenance tasks including underbody inspection, wheel changing, and battery servicing. Findings indicated that 80 percent of garages operated below minimum safety standards on the majority of assessed indicators, with inadequate ventilation, absence of oil spill containment, and no provision of personal protective equipment among the most prevalent deficiencies. Rapid Entire Body Assessment scores rated 65 percent of assessed task-posture combinations as requiring immediate investigation and corrective action, primarily due to prolonged trunk flexion and load handling in confined spaces. The study recommends establishment of a minimum safety standards certification scheme for motor vehicle garages in Kano State and integration of ergonomic principles into the National Automotive Council technician training curriculum. Keywords: workshop safety, ergonomic assessment, motor vehicle garage, Kano metropolis, musculoskeletal risk.