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 confronted can lead to serious and extensive consequences. (2)
For effective construction accident prevention and control, monitoring and
enforcement instruments are necessary. Based on the findings and the
conclusions drawn from the study, recommendations were made.
1.0 CHAPTER ONE
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 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.”
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.
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:
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.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 88 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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