INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the study

            Safety naturally has to do with the provision of safe and accident free working environment for employees. A suitable work environment influences workers attitude to work and the desire to participate in the training processes within the working environment. It also deals with staff interest at the workplace. Therefore, it could undermine their involvement or noninvolvement in the production activities which operates at the work place.  Staff translates technology and skills into production to consumers at the workplace. Working environment is important to productivity. If a staff experiences the work place as a safe, healthy, happy place with supportive resources and facilities for working for optimal production, he or she tends to participate more than expected in the process of production (Alisimo,2003).However, despite this strategic importance of the hospitality industry, the industry is fraught with safe issues as it affect the job performance of employees in the industry and the obvious need to manage health and safety proactively, some establishment do not give it the priority it deserves. This may be due to a lack of knowledge, skills and motivation or to limited staff resources. Cost is also an important issue with companies feeling that they lack the capital necessary to make proper investment in health and safety and failing to appreciate the importance of this investment. Likewise, few establishments measure or understand the costs of safety failures in their establishment.This failure to understand how investment in safety may affect the establishment in terms of measureable outcomes is partly due to the challenges inherent in establishing exactly how effective safety management is related to establishment and employees performance.

According to Anju( 2003), employers in the industry are prone to accident such as burns, fingers, fractures, nose bleeds, fainting, shocks, scalds, gassing and suffocation. One of the main agenda is to address human development issues, Cotton(2005), noted that the agenda is achievable by the provision of infrastructure for services and employment through the hospitality industry of health and safety on workers are improved to promote and sustain efficiency.The maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through different combination of physical, mental and social well-being, together sometimes referred to as the “health triangle” generally, the content in which an individual lives is of great importance for his health status and quality of life. It is increasingly recognized that safety is maintained and improved not only through advancement and application of health science but also through the efforts and intelligent life style choice of the individual and society.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

At every point in the growth and development of hotels, we are reminded that the quality of production depends to a large extent on the quality of employees. Again we are reminded of the magical feet of employees as they transform technological objective into production. One is also reminded of the need to motivate employees in order to produce the desired productivity (Alfers, 2011)

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory, basic low level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before high level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued. Higher needs such as social and esteem needs are not felt until one has met the needs basic to one’s bodily functioning. Once physiological needs are fulfilled, one’s attention turns to safety and security in order to be free from the threat of physical and emotional harm. Such needs must be fulfilled by living in a safe area. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, if a person feels that he or she is in harm, higher needs will not receive much attention.

The proliferation of workers in the hospitality industry has brought with, accompanying safety management issues giving a bad image to the socio-economic importance of the industry. Though there have been many studies on health and safety of employees in the hospitality industry. this study is being conducted to find out the effect of safety and health management on job performance among employees in hotels in Ibadan north local government and from which a strategy can be developed to help establish policies aimed at protecting the right and the safety of the employees in hospitality industry.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective is to:

To assess the effect of safety management on job performance among employees in hospitality industry in Ibadan.

The specific objectives are to:

i          identify potential hazards in the industry

ii  investigate safety management procedures that are in use in hotels

iii        examine the influence of safety management on job performance

1.4       Hypotheses of the study

There is no significant relationship between safety management and job performance.

1.5       Significance of the Study

This research hope to make a notable contribution in impacting the relevance of safety management on job performance among the employees in hospitality industry and by revealing also how safety management can affect the growth and development of the industry in Nigeria also it will be of great use to all, especially to those in the field of hospitality, it will also be of immense benefit