A Strategy for Effective Safety Management in Construction Sites in Kenya

Abstract

While the construction industry is the driving force in economic advancement and job creation, in developing countries, it is one of the most hazardous industries of all sectors, as measured by injury and fatality rates. The purpose of this study was to establish strategy for effective safety management in construction sites in Kenya. The research design for this study was cross-sectional design. The target population, was the National Construction Authority (NCA) contractors under categories 1-8 operating within Nairobi. Data was collected through surveys and interviews focusing on identifying and measuring variables for descriptive or explanatory purposes. Low level of safety management on construction sites in Kenya was attributed to lack of efficient safety programs at 87%, 76% lacked commitment to safety at all organization levels, 79% alluded to a poor safety culture and climate at work, whilst 75% exhibited inadequate compliance to safety laws. 92% had inadequate safety policies, poor safety training accounted for 92%, improper issuance and monitoring the use of PPE was at 72%, 64% had non-functional accident and incident reporting systems, 99% noted that workers’ experience reduced the number of injuries, there was a decreased ability to avoid unexpected accidents. 92% lacked measures to ensure monitoring of the scale, nature, and distribution of hazards and 88% had inefficient operational procedures to ensure safety of workers. The factors led to a 64% change in the level of safety management on construction sites. A strategy for effective safety management on construction sites in Kenya was consequently developed in order of ranking of factors that influenced safety