The building sector is growing very fast and essential to Uganda’s development involving construction of buildings. Workers operate in unsafe environment and accidents are a common occurrence at building sites.
The main objective of the study has been to assess the safety of workers at building sites in Uganda, and arose out of the need to have a safer working environment. Safety and what influences it have been examined and the most effective preventive and mitigation measures, which can be adopted, that are compatible with the practices and technologies available looked at.
The methodology adopted involves; an extensive literature review, collection of data by use of questionnaires, on-spot site checks plus oral interviews at building sites. Data analysis by a suitable statistical program (SPSS) and results presented.
The findings of study are; that the stakeholders are not well trained in safety planning and management yet they have a major role in providing and maintaining a safety at building sites, the protective gear and first aid provided is not sufficient, and awareness plus attitude towards safety at all level is poor.
A safety assessment tool for building sites has been developed, conclusions and recommendations made, which include integrating safety into overall professional training and site management, plus creation of a positive safety culture through behavioral change by all stakeholders. Overall objectives of the study have been achieved.
Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.3 MAIN OBJECTIVE
1.3.1 Specific Objectives
1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY
1.5 METHODOLOGY
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH
1.7 CONCLUSION
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 BACKGROUND OF SAFETY
2.2 ACCIDENTS ON BUILDINGS
2.2.1 Recent Occurrences
2.2.2 What Has Been Done
2.3 ACCIDENT
2.3.1 Causes of Accidents
2.4 FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE ACCIDENT CAUSATION.
2.4.1 Human factor
2.4.2 Technical factor
2.4.3 Working Environment factor
2.5 ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
2.5.1 Accident Information System
2.5.2 Practical Purposes of Accident Information System:
2.6 ACCIDENT PREVENTION
2.6.1 Government
2.6.2 Employer
2.6.3 Employee
2.7 PRACTICAL APPROACH TO ACCIDENT PREVENTION
2.8 SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
2.8.1 Definition
2.8.2 Objectives of Safety Management System
2.8.3 Main features of Safety Management systems
2.8.4 Safety Policy
2.8.5 Setting safety goals
2.8.6 Safety information system
2.9 SAFETY PROMOTION
2.9.1 Proactive safety Promotion
2.9.2 Proactive safety promotion tools in common use:
2.9.3 Reactive safety Promotion
2.9.4 Positive Safety Culture
2.10 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS
2.10.1 Safety
2.10.2 Health
2.10.3 Hazard
2.10.4 Construction sector
2.10.5 Building codes
2.10.6 Code of practice
2.10.7 Occupational accident
2.10.8 Fatal occupational injury
2.10.9 Non-Fatal occupational injury
2.10.10 Dangerous occurrence
3.0 METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 THE DESCRIPTIVE DATA
3.3 QUANTITATIVE DATA
3.4 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
3.4.1 Data Source
3.5 TOOLS USED IN DATA COLLECTION
3.5.1 Questionnaires.
3.5.2 Observation
3.5.3 On-spot site assessment
3.5.4 Secondary Data
3.6 DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS.
3.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
3.8 CONCLUSION
4.0 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 FIELD DATA
4.3 ANALYSIS
4.4 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.4.1 Conclusions of analysis
5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.4 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This research aims to assess the current safety levels of construction workers at building sites in Uganda and to identify strategies for improvement. The study focuses on addressing the high rate of accidents and hazardous working conditions, proposing a systematic evaluation and classification system to ensure safer construction practices through behavioral change, training, and policy integration.
- Assessment of current safety measures and protective gear utilization.
- Evaluation of contractor preparedness and responsiveness to site accidents.
- Development of a standardized site safety evaluation and company classification tool.
- Promotion of a positive safety culture through training and behavioral change.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE ACCIDENT CAUSATION.
The human factor is due to human behavior and attitudes towards safety when at work. The human error and state in which the workers are in may cause an accident. For example accident(s) may occur because the worker(s) is/ are: Drunk, Tiredness, General Laxity behavior about safety, Unaware of the presence of such a risk that may lead to an accident, Human impairment like poor eye-sight of worker, General human error as a person.
The technical factor takes on the technical aspects, which could lead to accident, and these include; Bad building designs- those that are prone to accident at construction and maintenance level, Inadequate designs of structural elements of the building like columns that can not carry the intended loads etc, Poor quality building materials like low quality cement, reinforcement, poor mix ratios etc, Misinterpretations of working plan and detail drawings, Bad construction methods and practices, Incompetent worker-force for implementation of project.
Working Environment factor takes on those factors that induce or influence accident causation because of the working situation the workers are exposed to and general condition the surroundings. It’s important to appreciate that workers are sometimes faced with situations and conditions that are dictated by nature, state of operation and other external influencers. Working environment factors include; Working in poor weather, Working without personal protective wear, Working generally in unsafe environment like emergence repair works on a powerhouse that feeds a theatre of a major hospital, etc.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: Provides an introduction to the construction sector in Uganda, the research problem, objectives, scope, and the overall significance of the study regarding worker safety.
CHAPTER TWO: Conducts an extensive literature review covering the history of accidents in the building industry, accident causation factors, safety management strategies, and the definition of core safety concepts.
CHAPTER THREE: Details the research methodology, including the descriptive and quantitative approaches, data collection tools like surveys and site observations, and data processing techniques.
CHAPTER FOUR: Presents the collected field data and the subsequent statistical analysis, showcasing the findings on current safety practices at various construction sites.
CHAPTER FIVE: Synthesizes the research findings, proposes a site safety evaluation and classification tool, and provides actionable recommendations to improve safety standards in the Ugandan construction industry.
Keywords
Construction safety, Occupational Health, Accident Prevention, Safety Management System, Uganda, Building Sites, Risk Management, Safety Culture, Personal Protective Equipment, Site Evaluation, Infrastructure Development, Worker Training, Safety Policy, Occupational Hazards, Construction Industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on assessing the safety levels of workers at building construction sites in Uganda and identifying effective strategies to reduce accident rates and promote safer working environments.
What are the central thematic areas of the study?
The study centers on human factors, technical building aspects, and environmental conditions that contribute to accidents, as well as the implementation of safety management systems and safety promotion.
What is the primary objective of this work?
The main objective is to identify critical safety deficiencies at construction sites and develop a practical site safety evaluation and company classification tool to improve standards in the sector.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The study utilizes a descriptive and explanatory research design, incorporating literature reviews, questionnaire surveys for data collection, on-spot site assessments, and statistical analysis via SPSS.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a literature review of safety principles, a methodology for data collection, an analysis of field data gathered from various construction sites, and a summary of findings with recommendations.
Which keywords best describe the project?
Key terms include construction safety, accident prevention, safety management systems, worker training, safety culture, and building site evaluation.
How does the author propose to classify construction companies?
The author proposes a four-tier classification system (Class A to D) based on a percentage-based safety score derived from a standardized questionnaire, where higher percentages indicate higher risk and lower safety performance.
What are the primary findings regarding safety training in Uganda?
The study found a critical lack of formal training for workers and management, indicating that most stakeholders are unaware of how to integrate safety into the overall project lifecycle and management structure.
- Quote paper
- John Wallace Nkurunungi (Author), 2005, Assessment of Safety of Workers at Building Sites in Uganda, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/213613
