PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF SAFETY INCENTIVE PROGRAMME AMONG OIL AND GAS TECHNICIANS WITHIN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

This study was conducted to find the perceived effectiveness of safety incentive programme among oil and gas technicians within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This became necessary due to the nature of their work, especially being exposed to unsafe working conditions.A survey research design was used in the study with a sample size of 50 technicians drawn from onshore and offshore platforms, regular and contract staff covering both maintenance and operations departments. Findings from the study shows that tangible and intangible rewards are the most commonly used incentives in the oil and gas industry. Financial rewards and promotion at work are the least used incentives in the industry with more focus on team reward/recognition than individual reward/recognition. Proactive reporting was not impacted by implementation of safety incentive programmes though generally effective in improving health and safety management within the industry. The study recommends that organisation using safety incentives should promote a holistic approach to safety as a culture of safety is required for optimum performance.