COST OF IMPLEMENTING HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The lack of provision of cost for H&S during the preliminary stage of construction brings about poor attitude of construction stakeholders towards the implementation of H&S measures on construction sites in Nigeria. This might be associated with increase in rate of accidents, injuries and fatalities of which compensations are paid to victims, which has a resultant effect in increase in the final cost of projects. The study was aimed at assessing the cost of implementing H&S measures on the cost of construction projects in Abuja, Nigeria with a view to improving the level of implementing H&S measures among contractors. The study was a criteria based studies in which certain criteria were outlined for selection of projects and firm. The study employed the use of Safety and Health Assessment in construction(SHASSIC) in determining the level of implementing health and safety measures among contractors, cost of implementing H&S measures and cost of construction projects. Regression analysis was used to determine the impact of H&S measures on cost of construction projects The Pearson correlation (r is 0.776, while its P

< 0.001) revealed a positive and significant relationship between the two variables. The coefficient of the simple linear regression shows the contribution that H&S measures makes on cost of construction projects, it was concluded that a reasonable correlation exists between H&S measures and cost of construction projects. Findings revealed that implementing H&S measures has a significant effect on the cost of construction projects. The study recommends that effective awareness on H&S measures is useful in order to improve the level of it implementation on construction sites, and to reduce construction site accidents.