ABSTRACT
The lack of provision of cost for H&S during the preliminary stage of construction brings about poor attitude of construction stakeholders towards the implementation of H&S measures on construction sites in Nigeria. This might be associated with increase in rate of accidents, injuries and fatalities of which compensations are paid to victims, which has a resultant effect in increase in the final cost of projects. The study was aimed at assessing the cost of implementing H&S measures on the cost of construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria with a view to improving the level of implementing H&S measures among contractors. The study was a criteria based studies in which certain criteria were outlined for selection of projects and firm. The study employed the use of Safety and Health Assessment in construction(SHASSIC) in determining the level of implementing health and safety measures among contractors, cost of implementing H&S measures and cost of construction projects. Regression analysis was used to determine the impact of H&S measures on cost of construction projects The Pearson correlation (r is 0.776, while its P < 0.001) revealed a positive and significant relationship between the two variables. The coefficient of the simple linear regression shows the contribution that H&S measures makes on cost of construction projects, it was concluded that a reasonable correlation exists between H&S measures and cost of construction projects. Findings revealed that implementing H&S measures has a significant effect on the cost of construction projects. The study recommends that effective awareness on H&S measures is useful in order to improve the level of it implementation on construction sites, and to reduce construction site accidents.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The laws guiding construction health and safety requires full action and implementation to protect workers at their work place just as well as the general public who may be influenced because of the work. Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHAct) of 1994 oblige employers to make great and satisfactory arrangement of health and safety measures in their work places, and furthermore keep a protected and solid work environment for every one of its employees. According to Chang (2008), more than hundred million individuals in different part of the world part take in construction works as a profession. The Global Training Centre of International Labour Organisation (ILO,
2011) stated that a few in six deadly accidents at work happen on a construction site. It further stated that at least 60,000 deadly accidents happen on construction sites across the world every year. Similar assumptions were made by Keller and Keller, (2009) and Board of Injuries (2009). The significance of health and safety in the construction industry cannot be over emphasized. Providing a very safe work environment has been reiterated by various researchers; violation of which has a negative and compounding effect on the organisation overall productivity and performance.
The application of health and safety measures in construction projects remain one of the essential criteria to which effective projects delivery can be determined (Ibrahim, 2015). This statement is supported as health and safety policy is seen as one of the important factors that is used in prequalifying appropriate contractors for the award of construction projects in the country (Windapo, 2013 and CDM, 2015).
Any injury encountered on site involves cost. The costs of injuries can roughly be categorized as either direct or indirect (Awodele and Ayoola, 2005). The direct costs are those attributed directly to injuries while the indirect costs are those elusive components of the costs of construction worker’s injuries.
To ensure a reliable and safe working environment, the cost of health and safety are those experienced to comply with legal obligations with respect to preventing accidents, applying measures to prevent the occurrence of accidents during work and to improving the health and safety conditions in all areas of the work performed (Awodele and Ayoola, 2005). Hence, the need to establish the cost of implementing H&S measures in construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
The rising in figure of construction accidents has necessitated the awareness of construction H&S measures, thus involving its inclusion as part of project performance criteria. Awodele and Ayoola (2005) affirmed that lack of adequate and proper H&S measures implementation is one of the major contributory causes of operational accident in construction. This means that H&S in construction is a highly practical guide that will help professionals in understanding the implications of H&S legislations in a construction projects.
Awodele and Ayoola (2005), Haupt and Smallwood (2005) reported that not viewer than hundreds of construction workers engaged in construction works on various sites are killed on a yearly basis in Nigeria, and most of the surviving ones been permanently disabled which amounts to more than one million annually. Also the Nigerian construction industry as at 2005 till date loses 5 – 7 % of its workforce annually to construction accidents through building collapse and other major operational accidents (Olatunji et al., 2007). Awodele and Ayoola (2015) opined that lack of adequate provision of H&S measures in construction projects may be one of the contributing recipes in the increasing cost of construction.
The cost of H&S in estimating the construction expense is absolute little or no emphasis (Idoro, 2011). This attitude of construction stakeholders that is contractors, subcontractors, project managers and clients, towards implementing H&S measures has also caused broad challenges in project implementations with its increasing effect on incurring additional charge in completing the project (Dimuna, 2010).
In view of the above, the lack of provision of cost of H&S during the forecast of construction cost brings about poor attitude of construction stakeholders towards the implementation of H&S measures in construction site in Abuja, Nigeria. This poor attitude most likely leads to increase in rate of accidents, injuries and fatalities of which compensations are paid to victims. The resultant effect is increase in the final cost of projects. It is therefore imperative to access the cost of implementing H&S measures on the cost of construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria.
1.3 Research Questions
In ensuring that the identified problem of the study is properly addressed, the analysis seeks to find answers to the following questions:
i. What is the level of implementing H&S measures among contractors in construction projects in Abuja?
ii. What is the relationship between cost of construction projects and the cost of implementing H&S measures?
iii. Can cost of implementing H&S measures predict the cost of construction projects?
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
This study aimed at assessing the cost of implementing H&S measures on the cost of construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria with a view to improving the level of implementing H&S measures among contractors.
The objectives are:
i. To examine the level of implementing H&S measures among contractors in construction projects in Abuja.
ii. To determine the relationship between the cost of implementing H&S measures and cost of construction projects.
iii. To validate the relationship between cost of implementing H&S measures as a predictor of cost of construction projects.
1.5 Research Hypothesis
The assumption that is tested for in this research work is;
H0: – Cost of implementing H&S measures has no significant effect on construction cost.
1.6 Justification for the Study
Considering the important role, the construction industry plays and the level of accidents occurrences, there is necessity for an improve health and safety management system among the Frontline (construction workers). According to Kheni et al. (2005) the HSE has demonstrated that by improving safety and health measures, management can save up to 70% of accidents on sites. And as such any effort aimed at improving safety and health measures on the construction site must be undertaken by a rigorous and thorough research. In this respect, many research works have been assumed in order to provide a perfect platform for which safety and health measures can be formulated and implemented.
Over the year’s research as being on going as regards to the issues of H&S in the Nigeria construction industry. Many authors like Foad (2011) have made analysis on developing safety implementation in construction projects in Libya, Kadiri et al. (2014) also conducted an investigation on the effect and causes of building site accidents, Kheni et al. (2005) focused on safety theory, cost and value in construction designs in Jordan, An analysis of safety management on Nigerian building industry was conducted by Samuel (2014), Ibrahim (2015) researched on the safety execution of the Saudi Arabian construction industry, Ashly (2015) also conducted a similar research on review of safety exercises of the construction industry, further study on the effects of poor safety performance in the Ghanaian construction project was conducted by Evans (2016), Additionally, Elke (2016) carried out a research on effect of the Construction S&H Guide settings on Construction Cost in south Africa .
However, little or no emphasis given on the cost of implementing H&S measures in construction projects. Thus, this research seeks to make available information on the cost implementing H&S measures in construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria. This information will help those engaged in construction activities as it will serve as a guide to aid them on H&S decision making, reduced the figure of casualties recorded on building sites as a result of accidents and will also make available useful information for H&S cost construction forecasting.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The research focused on the cost of implementing H&S measures in construction projects. The construction firms that practice Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) are the big multinationals (Adeogun and Okafor, 2013). The construction firms that were selected in Abuja are Multinational and Large Scale construction firms. The location of the study was in Abuja. It was selected for this study for the reason that it is the administrative headquarters of Nigeria. It is one of the metropolitan cities in Nigeria that has the highest population of the built environment professionals and has many ongoing construction projects.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
COST OF IMPLEMENTING HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA
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