COSTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN BUILDING SITES

ABSTRACT: The construction industry is inherently hazardous. Thus, there is a need to make the construction site a safe place to work although the poor safety record remains a concern. The determination of the aggregate costs of health and safety programmes is considered a leap for achieving construction safety in construction project delivery. This study evaluated the costs of health and safety programmes in building project delivery. The study determined among others, cost-related factors affecting health and safety programmes, significant cost elements of health and safety programmes and determined the size of contractors’ expenditure on health and safety programmes. The finding of the study revealed that external monitoring and control requirements, level of education and training, and scope of work-related hazards are significant cost-related factors inhibiting contractors’ health and safety programmes.  The overall costs of health and safety programmes included in tender for building work generally amount to 0.31%. This implies medium and large contractors’ in Portharcourt allow 0.31% of the total project costs for health and safety programmes in building contracts. The study concludes that budgetary provisions for health and safety programmes in building projects requires significant improvement in order to improve health and safety performance in building project deliveryA.