APPRAISING THE FACTORS AFFECTING HEALTH AND SAFETY IN SMALL MEDIUM AND LARGE CONSTRUCTION SITES IN OYO STATE

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: However, the construction industry is often regarded as one of the most hazardous sectors of the industry anywhere in the globe. According to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (2011), a construction site is the location of one in every six of the workplace accidents that result in fatalities. In addition, it was reported that there are at least 60,000 fatal incidents that take place on construction sites throughout the globe each and every year. Keller and Keller (2009) and the Injuries Board came to the same findings (2009). When one considers the negative effects that accidents might have, it is clear that the management of construction safety should be a true concern for all parties involved in the construction industry. The cost of labour contributes between 40 and 65 percent to the total cost of a project, which contributes to the perception that the construction industry is labour heavy (Rao, Sreenivasan & Babu, 2015). As a result, increased human involvement in the production stage is going to be necessary because of the labour-intensive nature of the industry. According to Smallwood and Haupt (2002), accidents are considered to be an inevitable part of the building production process. Given that the construction industry is inherently dangerous, compliance or noncompliance with safety practices will result in the loss of the impact that safety regulations have. One of the characteristics that sets the construction industry apart from others is its singularity, which is one of the factors that contributes to the high number of fatal accidents. According to Diugwu, Baba, and Egila (2012), Okolie and Okoye (2012), Idubor and Oisamoje (2013), and Umeokafor, Umeadi, and Jones (2014), the number and magnitude of accidents occurring and recorded on construction sites in Nigeria highlighted a low level of safety practices. Okolie and Okoye (2012) were also of the opinion that this was the case. On the other hand, contractors on work sites do need to adopt adequate safety related systems for the supply and management of the work environment system and human behavior. Safety is ultimately implemented by contractors on work sites. Although the idea of total safety management is still relatively new in the construction industry, it is gaining popularity due to its capacity to incorporate all perceptions, psychological, behavioral, and managerial factors. This is despite the fact that the concept is still relatively new. On the various project sites, there has been a significant rise in the number of injuries and illnesses that have been recorded. This is an unacceptable number when considering into account all of the regulatory requirements and control mechanisms that are in place for construction projects; as a result, there is a significant risk to the health of construction employees while they are on the job. Therefore, preventative measures need to be done in order to detect these causes and eliminate them as appropriate.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Concerns over occupational safety have rapidly risen to the forefront of the construction industry. Many construction organizations all around the globe are introducing safety, health, and environmental management systems into their workplaces in order to lessen the number of accidents and illnesses that take environment on construction sites, as well as to make the workplaces safer overall (Rafiq, Dongping and Syed, 2008). According to Muiruri and Mulinge (2014), health and safety on construction sites focuses on the physical as well as the mental well-being of employees on construction sites as well as those individuals whose health is likely to be negatively impacted by activities related to construction. It is of the utmost importance to all parties involved in the project, including companies, workers, and governments. In light of this, health and safety are not only a humanitarian but also an economic problem that calls for appropriate management supervision.

The majority of developing nations do not place a high importance on health and safety when it comes to the execution of construction projects, and the employment of safety measures during construction is seen as an additional cost (Mbuya and Lema, 2004). When it comes to gauging the performance of projects, health and safety has been singled out as a metric that should be considered in addition to the more conventional indicators of success, such as cost, quality, and duration. The human dimension, law, and financial considerations are the reasons for considering safety and health into consideration (Adan, 2004). Jannadi and Bu-Khamsin (2002) provided a comprehensive review of the significant research conducted on construction site safety between the years 1976 and 1993. They came to the conclusion that site safety was associated with factors such as site management and control, site supervision and leadership, site safety program, and the influence of the general contractor on subcontractors.

The majority of construction industry safety training programs rely on traditional classroom methods, which do not engage employees to an adequate degree (Haslam, 2004; Haslam et al., 2005; Wilkins 2011). Mostafa et al. (2016) made the argument that interactive safety training approaches that promote conversation, feedback, and action may lead to greater learning gains. In a line of thinking that is analogous to this, Shittu et al. (2016) and Shittu (2016) Out of the five core and modern H&S practices that have been identified (Education and Training, Communication, H&S Planning, Workers' Consultation and Participation, and Company's Commitment), H&S Education and Training is the practice that has the highest likelihood of improving the safety performance of construction firms. The existing literature on health and safety focuses mostly on the education of employees in big construction companies located in industrialized countries. This disregards concerns on the health and safety construction of employees working for medium-sized construction companies, which, according to research conducted by Shittu et al., constitute a substantial percentage of the industry in Nigeria (2016). As a consequence of this, there is an issue with inadequate safety performance, which manifests itself as a greater risk of accidents, deaths, and injuries to employees who are employed on construction sites. However, there is a paucity of research in the field of construction literature regarding medium construction firms. Medium construction firms are typically smaller than large construction firms; however, collectively, they are responsible for a significant portion of the construction volume and educate a significant number of workers regarding safety concerns. In light of this, it is of the utmost need to address this void by conducting an investigation on the elements that influence health and safety at small, medium, and large construction sites in the state of Oyo.