Causes of building construction related accident in the south-western states of Nigeria

Abstract

Within the focus of the final outcome of any construction activity is the realisation of minimal cost, timely delivery and quality oriented structure. Nevertheless, above all is the safe execution of the construction site activities, which is a matter of life, most especially lives of the operatives. The study focuses on the identification of the common types of accident, the level of occurrences, as well as the causes of the identified accidents. Through an extensive literature review, eighteen (18) different types of accident were identified, which were subsequently classified into seven (7) categories. Moreover, well-structured questionnaires were administered to construction participants, with the data analysed descriptively. The outcome revealed the four categories of frequently occurring accidents to be: contact with working tools, vehicle-related, slip and trip, and falls. Some crucial inclusions in the list of causes are failure of edge protection, safety standard violations, overloading of scaffold and crane, wrong placement of ladder, loss of control over body movement, failure in the designs, absence of warning signs, over speeding of vehicle, wrong selection of working tools, non-usage of personal protective equipment, improperly installed equipment, horseplay, and poor housekeeping. However, by exploring the accident process, recommendations based on the findings are put up.