Risk assessment for hazard exposure and its consequences on housing construction sites in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Despite housing construction’s economic contribution, the nature of work done is well acknowledged as risky to execute because of the occupational accidents and work-related hazards to which workers are exposed. Most of the workers experience hazards, owing largely to inadequate or lack of safety infrastructure and mechanisms for protective gear. This article examines varying levels of hazards to which workers are exposed at housing construction sites in Lagos, Nigeria. A mixed methods research was used to collect the necessary data for the study. From the total number of 511 residential building construction sites identified, simple random sampling technique was used to select 255 (50%) of the buildings. A questionnaire was administered to the supervisors on each site to obtain information on the exposure of hazards on housing construction sites. In addition, one month’s data on incidents of near miss, accident and fatal cases were obtained from construction managers/supervisors for each site. The data was analysed with frequencies, percentages and inferential statistics. Construction workers are exposed to multifaceted hazards. Roughly 91% of the respondents had witnessed hazards of varying degrees. Paired t-test values showed that, on average, 25.3 more near misses and 12.4 more accidents happened monthly on sites supervised by individuals/owners than on sites supervised by trained supervisors. The Pearson’s r test (r = -0.705) showed that not enough first-aid kits were provided on sites to meet the needs of workers. Proper safety mechanisms to ensure strict adherence to safety rules and regulations at construction sites must be developed and enforced.