Occupational Safety Considerations in the Design of Industrial Workwear for Oil Palm Processing Workers in Edo State

Oil palm processing workers in Edo State, South South Nigeria, are exposed to a range of occupational hazards including extreme heat from steam sterilisers, mechanical entanglement risks, chemical exposure from palm oil fractionation processes, and slip hazards from wet processing surfaces. Despite these risks, the workwear used by the majority of processing plant workers offers inadequate protection and fails to meet relevant occupational safety standards. This study applies industrial design and occupational safety principles to the assessment and redesign of workwear for oil palm processing workers across three processing facilities in Orhionmwon and Uhunmwonde local government areas of Edo State. An occupational hazard assessment combining direct observation, incident report analysis, and structured interviews with sixty-two production workers identifies primary risk exposures by workstation type. Material specifications for improved workwear are evaluated across dimensions of heat resistance, chemical impermeability, mechanical abrasion resistance, comfort under high-temperature conditions, and ease of donning and removal in emergency situations. Prototype workwear sets designed for three primary workstation categories are fabricated using fire-retardant cotton blend and nitrile-coated glove systems, and evaluated by workers and safety officers through structured wear trials. Findings confirm significant improvements in hazard protection without compromising thermal comfort or mobility. Recommendations include mandatory adoption of the designed workwear specifications by all Edo State oil palm processing facilities certified under the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Keywords: workwear design, occupational safety, oil palm processing, Edo State, industrial protective clothing.