Awareness of Health and Safety Practices Among Construction Workers: A Case Study of Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Over the years, the construction industry has been regarded as one of the major industries, having transcended to using modern techniques such as off-site construction. However, accidents still occur in the Nigerian construction industry due to the lack of intense adoption of off-site construction and also the lack of knowledge about health and safety (H&S) practices. Therefore, this study aimed to assess construction workers’ awareness of health and safety (H&S) practices in Akure, Ondo State. To achieve this, a well-structured questionnaire was developed as a data collection tool to retrieve respondents' information on the construction workers' level of awareness about various H&S practices. One hundred and fifty questionnaires were administered to the non-professionals involved in construction activities in Akure, Ondo-State. However, 93 questionnaires were retrieved. Mean Score, frequency and percentage were used to analyse the retrieved data. The study revealed a high level of awareness of H&S measures, especially the use of safety boots, helmets, reflective clothing/vests, first aid and hand gloves. Therefore, imbibing positive attitudinal behaviour to H&S practices will reduce accidents, deaths and property damages on construction sites.