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EFFECTIVE SAFETY AND HEALTH PLANNING ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IN ONITSHA AND AWKA OF ANAMBRA STATE

Dept: BUILDING File: Word(doc) Chapters: 1-5 Views: 9

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was how to use good planning of construction activities to achieve safety, good health, control and prevention of accidents on building construction sites. The population of the study consisted mostly of big construction firms in Anambra State, especially Awka and Onitsha that have had more than 5 years of active construction activities. The sample for the study was 10 reputable construction firms; five from Awka and 5 from Onitsha; which were drawn using simple random sampling. Five research questions and two hypotheses were formulated, which guided the study. A 13-item structured questionnaire was developed, for data collection. Frequency count/percentages and weighted mean (likert scale) were used to answer the research questions, while Chi-square was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It. Was concluded among others that: (1) The nature of construction accidents is so diverse and widespread; that if not well conf

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The construction industry by the nature of its activities provides

opportunities for varied range of people to achieve their livelihood there from,

through engagement with the different trades that abound in it.

In the course of these engagements, human errors do occur, which

often lead to accidents with safety and health implications.

It is in the light of the issues involved with construction planning,

safety, health and accidents of construction projects that this project topic is

undertaken as a pro – active attempt to use good planning of construction

activities to achieve safety, good health, control and prevention of accidents

on sites, as an integrated approach to project delivery.

It is an attempt that uses good construction planning approach as a

means to achieve the end of site good health, safety, prevention and control of

accidents on sites. The means and end when well ingrained in the psyche of

stake holders in the built environment, with their attendant benefits, will be

tools to be cherished by all involved.

Planning is therefore described as an arrangement for doing or using

something, considered or worked out in advance. Looking at the entire gamut

of planning construction work Nash (1970) stated that: “the best methods

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for carrying out the work which is to be done on a structure should be carefully

thought out before the work begins. This is very important as hasty decisions

may be very costly later on”. On the other hand, Howarth (1972) submitted

that: “A planned sequence of operations, and a well deployed labour force,

should result in good production control. This means that with proper planning,

and a system of prepared progress, the greatest possible use can be made of

men, materials and plant. Work control should prevent wasted time, and allow

the fore man to deal more adequately with supervision”.

However, looking at the other aspect of this project topic – accidents

prevention and control – it may be axiomatic to say that the word accident is a

common denominator in any human undertaking, especially wherever safety is

taken for granted.

Taking cognizance of the construction industry’s accidents statistics and

the reality they portray give one the goose flesh and the urge that urgent

remedial approach is needed.

Howarth (1972) stated inter-alia: “For years, there has been an annual

average of over 40,000 reportable accidents and over 200 killed, with higher

percentages than in all other industries. Building workers suffer over three

accidents for every 100,000 hours worked…. Accident in the industry cost the

country millions of pounds a year in: (1) the need of score of hospital beds per

day (ii) a drain on medical staff and services; (iii) a drain on union and

insurance company funds and (iv) a loss of thousand of man days to

production.”

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1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The concept of housing delivery entails design and construction phases. The

nitty –gritty of this delivery centers on the construction stage or building

production management stage.

It is at this stage that the production planning and management take center

stage for the actual production of what has been designed.

The concept of planning is as old as man and has never disappointed its

adherents; hence going by the popular dictum: “He, who fails to plan, plans to

fail.” It is in this wise that the specter of poorly managed production processes,

resulting in the state of accidents on sites with unpleasant implications of-cost

and losses has become a glaring area calling for critical examination of how

good production planning processes can be synthesized with effective

accident prevention and control approach to achieve the goals of building

production management.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Building production management, as a professionally scheduled duty

entails high standard of practice, competence, knowledge, and analytical mind

to be able to fuse all the intricate factors associated with successful project

delivery to clients’ satisfaction and the economy.

The process of successful project delivery is encumbered with planning,

health and safety factors, which need to be collectively addressed in the

course of production processes for cost effective delivery.

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In the course of construction, accidents sometimes occur which affect

not only the work men, but also the project itself leading to cost and time

overruns, litigation/compensation claims, project abandonment with

consequential financial losses, and other unforeseen developments.

The construction site is often a chaotic place with an incredibly high

amount of action taking place. Workers and machines move about in a frenzy,

with every one focused on the task at hand. In such an environment,

construction accidents can and do take place.

Statistics indicate that nearly 1000 construction workers are killed each

year while on the job. Many of the deaths or injuries that result from these jobs

can and should be prevented.

Some of the most common types of construction accidents include:

construction site falls, crane accidents, scaffolding accidents, workers being

run-over by operating equipment, electrical accidents, trench collapses, fires

and explosions, and welding accidents. Each of these mishaps can be equally

tragic and equally deadly, and each of these accidents can be completely

avoided

1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study is how to use good planning of construction activities

to achieve safety, good health, control and prevention of accidents on building

construction sites with the following objectives:

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? To identify health and safety problems associated with building

construction industry.

? To find out factors that lead to health and safety problems

? To investigate how to avoid accidents in the building construction

industry.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

It is the desire and expectation of every developer to accomplish any

development project without much hitch or draw backs. When an integrated

approach of good production planning and accidents preventive mechanism is

adopted, the out come is quality assurance of the project delivery process.

It is an outcome so much desired by all stakeholders. The problem had

always been: who bells the cat? Who initiates the process that challenges the

status quo of practices that are inimical to the common and collective good?

This study will equally provide the following benefits:

? It will lead to more harmonious work environment.

? It will show safer and healthier ways to carry out site work.

? It will show how good site planning can lessen site accidents.

? It will lead to savings in the use of human and material resources.

? It will be a factor to arrest cost and time overruns of projects

? Its adoption will save the following costs

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I. The need of scores of hospital beds per day

II. The drain on medical staff and services.

III. The drain on union and insurance company funds

IV. The loss of thousands of man-days to production.HYPOTHESIS

The following null hypothesis was formulated for the study to be tested at

0.05 level of significance;

HO: The observance of safety and health procedures do not significantly

control the rate and nature of accidents on construction sites

HI

: The observance of safety and health procedures do significantly

control the rate and nature of accidents on constructions sites.

1.7.1 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is focused on the use of production planning approach that

observes safety and health procedures, to curb accidents arising from

execution of production activities on sites within the confines of building

industry. It does not cover high engineering projects like bridges and oil

and gas sector.

1.7.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: The following limitations are

inherent in the study.

1 The limitations inherent in the use of questionnaires in terms of

bjectivity, truthfulness and sincerity from respondents are

acknowledged; there is therefore, likelihood of error to occur in

the final evaluation of data

2 The inability of the researcher to cover all of the major towns in

Anambra State, except Awka and Onitsha, due to lack of time;

therefore the findings were based on the data from the two main

towns.

1.8 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In view of the aim of this study, the following research questions

are posed to drive the study:

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1. what are the types of accidents associated with building construction

activities

2. What are the types of health/safety problems associated with building

activates problems.

3. What are the factors that cause these construction problems?

4. How can these problems be mitigated?

5. Can the observance of health and safety provisions during construction

reduce the rate of accident occurrence?

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS (KEY WORDS)

The following terms are defined as used in this study:

1.9.1 Planning: Oxford advanced learners dictionary defined “plan” as: “An

arrangement to do a set of things in order to achieve something, especially

one that has been considered in detail in advance;

Following from this, planning is therefore the act of arranging the procedure for

carrying out an action to achieve set objectives.

1.9.2 Accident: “An eventful occurrence in a work place that interrupts or

disrupts production activities or processes through loss of time, loss of

resources and injury (fatal or otherwise) consequent upon wrongful and

inappropriate human behaviour and /or inappropriate, faulty or deficient

working environment, design or management (Oyederan, 1989, as quoted by

Amaechi, 1990)

1.9.3 Health and Safety: Health- conditions of a person’s body or mind (have

poor health or enjoy the best of health).

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Safety: – Being safe, not being dangerous or in danger (Hornby 2000).

1.9.4 Management: The act of running and controlling a business or similar

organization (Hornby 2000).