Assessment of Level of Implementation of Health and Safety Requirements in Construction Projects Executed by Small Firms in Abuja.

Abstract

The construction industry is a significant player in the economy of developing nations. Yet, it is one of the most hazardous with frequent accidents and ill-health related problems. This research assessed the level of implementation of health and safety (H&S) management requirements in construction projects executed by Small firms in Nigeria. The rationale for this was to address the problem of poor H&S management within the construction firms. The study specifically identified the major organizational characteristics which influence the H&S management of small construction firms in Nigeria. This was done with a view to assessing the main health and safety management requirements adopted by construction firms with different organizational characteristics. Data collection was done using well structured questionnaires. Research population constituted 40 small construction firms in Abuja. Analyses of data were done using percentage and relative importance index (RII). The study identified 58 H&S management practices/requirements out of which provision of first aid facilities on site (RII = 0.92) was the most important, while 45 others were also discovered to be important. It was discovered that construction firms with larger employees‘ size, larger turnover and greater years of experience implement H&S requirements more completely than those with lesser employees‘ size, annual turnover and years of experience. Civil engineering contractors were observed to have higher level of implementation of the H & S requirements than building contractors. The need for construction SMEs to fully implement these important H&S management practices to improve H&S performance on site was therefore emphasized.