IMPACT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Safety performance is crucial for construction projects to be successful since it impacts the building’s quality, schedule, and costs. Hence, this paper evaluated the impact of health and safety practices on the performance of construction workers in Ondo State, aiming to achieve safe working conditions on construction sites in Nigeria. This study employed a survey research design, utilizing questionnaires that comprised a well-structured set of information to achieve the study's objective. The study population were construction workers and skilled men, selected randomly from 25 diverse sites in Ondo State. The data collected was analyzed using frequency distributions, relative importance index (RII), and factor analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the topmost impacts of health and safety practices on the performance of construction workers in the Nigerian construction industry are: ‘reduced work-place accidents and injuries’, and ‘increased productivity and efficiency’. It is recommended that the wages of construction workers be significantly increased to cushion the effects of the country’s poor economic conditions and encourage them to adhere to safety practices on sites. Therefore, the lack of health and safety comes with severe consequences for both workers and the surrounding environment.