ST.

MARY’S UNIVESITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ASSESEMENT OF THE USE OF SAFETYMATERIALS IN

BUILDING ONSTRUCTION: IN THE CASE OF SUNSHINE
CONSTRUCTION PLC.

By: Naol Dereje ID: SGS/0494/2014A

ADVISOR: MISRAKU MOLLA (PhD.)

JUNE 2023
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
 ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

ASSESEMENT OF THE USE OF SAFETY MATERIALS IN BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION: IN THE CASE OF SUNSHINE CONSTRUCTION PLC.

BY

Naol Dereje

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF

GRADUATE STUDIES IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF PROJECT
MANAGEMENT

JUNE, 2023

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

 DECLARATION

I, undersigned person, declare that this final project work entitled “Assessment of the use of
Safety Materials in Building Construction: in the case of Sunshine Construction plc.” represents
my own work, and it has not been previously included in any thesis, dissertation or report
submitted to any university for degree, diploma or other qualification. It is conducted for the
partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Project Management
and submitted to School of St. Mary University.

Name: Naol Dereje

Signature: ______________________________

Date:_________________________________
 APPROVAL FROM THE ADVISOR’S

The Undersigned certifies that, He has read and here by recommends for acceptance by the St
Mary’s University a thesis entitled: “Assessment of the use of safety materials in building
construction: in the case of sunshine construction plc.” in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the degree of Masters of Art in Project Management of the St Mary’s University.

Misraku Molla (Ph.D.) June 14, 2023

Name of advisor Signature Date

 APPROVED BY BOARD OF EXAMINERS

We, the undersigned certify that we have read and hereby recommend to the Saint Mary’s
university to accept the thesis submitted by Naol Dereje entitled “Assessment of the use of safety
materials in building construction: in the case of sunshine construction plc.” for the fulfillment of
the requirement for the award of an MA in Project Management.

Board of Examiners

Advisor: Name: _________________________Signature _________ Date _______

External Examiner: Name _________________________Signature _________ Date _______

Internal Examiner: Name _________________________Signature _________ Date _______

Director: Name __________________________Signature _________Date _______

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am deeply grateful to the almighty God for his constant guidance, protection and love
throughout the duration of this project. He has been my source of strength and inspiration in
times of difficulty and doubt.

I give my heartfelt gratitude to my research Advisor Dr. Misraku Molla for his constrictive
suggestion and guidance for my research project.

My families and friends deserve a special thank you as well for their wonderful inspiration and
continuous support. Additionally, I would like to thank all participants and people who, directly
or indirectly, contributed resources and support to the fulfillment of this thesis.

Special thanks are given to the interviewees and respondents who generously spare their time to
give the valuable information I needed complete to complete the paper.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Background of the Study...................................................................................................................1

1.2 Statement of the Problem.................................................................................................................2
1.3 Research Questions...........................................................................................................................4
1.4 Objectives of the Study................................................................................................................4
1.4.1 Main Objective............................................................................................................................4
1.4.2 Specific Objectives......................................................................................................................4
1.5 Significance of the Study....................................................................................................................5
1.6 Scope of the study and limitations of the study................................................................................5
1.7 Organization of the Study..................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................................7

2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................7
2.2 Theoretical Review............................................................................................................................7
2.2.1 Health and Safety Definition.......................................................................................................7
2.2.2 Construction Safety in Ethiopia...................................................................................................8
2.3 Empirical Review..............................................................................................................................11
2.3.2 Causes of Accidents on Building Construction..........................................................................12
2.3.3 Factors Affecting Safety on Construction Projects....................................................................14
2.3.4 The Costs and Impacts of Accidents on a Construction Site......................................................17
2.3.5 Implementation of safety management challenges in Ethiopian..............................................18
2.3.6 Health and Safety Management in Ethiopian Construction......................................................19
2.3.7 Construction Health and Safety Responsibilities.......................................................................20
2.3.8 Elements of Construction Safety Management System............................................................21
2.4 Conceptual Frame Work..................................................................................................................22
CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................................................23

3.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................23
3.2 Research Approach..........................................................................................................................23
3.2.1 Qualitative Research Approach.................................................................................................23
3.2.2 Quantitative Research Approach..............................................................................................24
3.2.3 Mixed Research Approach........................................................................................................24
 3.3 Research Design...............................................................................................................................24
3.3.1Target Population......................................................................................................................25
3.4 Sampling technique and Sample size...............................................................................................25
3.5 Source of Data.................................................................................................................................25
3.6 Data collection methods..................................................................................................................26
3.7 Data analysis....................................................................................................................................26
3.8 Validity and Reliability.....................................................................................................................27
3.9 Ethical considerations......................................................................................................................27
CHATER FOUR............................................................................................................................................29

4.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................29
4.2 GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE RESPONDENTS............................................................................29
4.2.1 PROFILE OF DEMOGRAPHICS....................................................................................................29
4.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES............................................................................32
4.3.1 Descriptive Analysis of Safety Policy and Regulation on Construction Site...............................33
4.3.2 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Training on Construction Site..................................38
4.3.3 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Precautions on Construction Site............................42
4.3.4 Descriptive Analysis of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occur Often on the
Construction Site...............................................................................................................................46
4.3.5 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Management Practices on the Construction Site....50
CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................................................................56

5.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................56
5.2 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS.....................................................................................................56
5.3 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................57
5.4 RECOMMENDATION........................................................................................................................59
5.5 SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.............................................................................................60
References.................................................................................................................................................61
 List of Figures

Figure 1 Research Conceptual Framework.............................................................................................22

Figure 2 Genders of Respondents...........................................................................................................29
Figure 3 Ages of Respondents.................................................................................................................30
Figure 4 Job Positions of the Respondents.............................................................................................30
Figure 5 Educational backgrounds of the Respondents..........................................................................31
Figure 6 Employment’s' status of the Respondents................................................................................31
Figure 7 Total work experiences of the Respondents.............................................................................32
 List of Tables

Table 1: CRONBACH ALPHA RESULTS........................................................................................................27

Table 2: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues...........................33
Table 3: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents on Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues.....36
Table 4: Relative Important index Result of Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues.......................37
Table 5: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and Health Training Related Issues..............................38
Table 6: Frequencies and Percentage of Respondents on Safety and Health Training Related Issues.....40
Table 7: Relative Important Index Results of Safety and Health Training Related Issues..........................41
Table 8: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and health Precautions Related Issues.........................42
Table 9: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents of Safety and Health Precautions Related Issues....44
Table 10: Relative Important Index Result of Safety and Health Precautions Related Issues....................46
Table 11: Mean and Standard Deviation Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occurs Often on
the Construction Site.................................................................................................................................46
Table 12: Frequencies and Percentage of Respondents of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That
Occur Often in High Rise Buildings Related Issues.....................................................................................48
Table 13: Relative important Index Result of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occur Often
in High Rise Buildings Related Issues.........................................................................................................49
Table 14: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and Health Management Practices on the Construction
Site Related Issues.....................................................................................................................................50
Table 15: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents of Safety and Health Management Practices on the
Construction Site Related Issues................................................................................................................53
Table 16: Relative Important Index Result of Safety and Health Management Practices on the
Construction Site Related Issues................................................................................................................54
 LIST OF ACRONYMS

OSH Occupational Safety and Health

ILO International Labor Office

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences

PPE Personal Protective Equipment

FES Fire and Emergency Services

PLC Private Limited Company

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

HSE Health and Safety Executive

GDP Gross Domestic Product

OHS Occupational Health and Safety

HSE Health and Safety Executive

HSC Health and Safety Commission

MOLSA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

WSHA Workplace Safety and Health Act

 ABSTRACT

This study assessed the health and safety measures that are implemented in the construction of
high-rise buildings in Addis Ababa by sunshine construction plc. The study focused on health
and safety issues that have been neglected by the building industry. A descriptive research
design was used in this study. The research method employed in this study was a survey
questionnaire. The example company distributed the questionnaires to all its employees and
received responses from 83.6 percent of them. The sample size for this study was 56 employees
who worked at the example company. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics
to summarize and present the findings. The data analysis was performed using SPSS software,
which allowed the researchers to export the results to Excel for further manipulation and
visualization. The research revealed that construction workers on high-rise building projects in
the study area lacked adequate safety and health training on how to handle risks and hazards on
site. The study also found that senior managers in construction projects did not prioritize the
implementation of safety training for construction workers on high-rise buildings in the study
area. Furthermore, there was no effective monitoring system to ensure that safety training was
conducted on construction sites. The safety training program also did not have a regular
schedule as other high-rise building project activities. The researcher stated that every real
estate company should implement an effective health and safety policy that covers all aspects of
their operations. The policy should assign roles and responsibilities to designated personnel,
provide appropriate facilities and personal protective equipment (PPE) for all workers on the
job site, and incorporate health and safety duties in contracts with outside contractors. The
client of the project should not only focus on completing their project on time and within budget,
but also on protecting their construction workers from any hazards that may cause serious
injuries or fatalities.

Key words: Construction industry, Health and Safety, Health and Safety Management, High rise
Building Projects, Safety equipment
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The construction industry is vital for the nation's economy. It affects almost everyone in their
daily lives and contributes significantly to the country's economic development. It provides the
infrastructure facilities that are necessary for other sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture,
and service to grow and prosper. Therefore, periods of high construction activity often coincide
with times of national wealth. The construction industry has a major role in the growth of any
economy.

The construction industry in Ethiopia plays a vital role in the country's economic development
by providing infrastructure and buildings for various sectors. According to a report by Research
and Markets, the construction market in Ethiopia is projected to grow at an annual average
growth rate of more than 8% to 2026, driven by the government's 10-year development plan,
foreign direct investment, population growth and urbanization. The main activities of the
construction industry in Ethiopia include: (1) Residential buildings, such as houses, apartments
and condominiums; (2) Non-residential buildings, such as factories, warehouses, office
buildings, hotels, schools, hospitals and others; and (3) Other construction projects, such as
roads, dams, electricity transmission lines, telephone lines and others.

The construction industry in Ethiopia is divided into two segments: the formal market, which
consists of local and foreign companies that undertake large projects; and the informal market,
which consists of small and medium construction companies that operate mostly in rural areas.
The formal market is dominated by Chinese companies, which have been involved in several
major infrastructure projects in the country. The informal market faces challenges such as lack of
access to finance, skilled labor and quality materials.

The construction industry is one of the most important sectors for the economy and society, as it
provides the infrastructure and facilities for various activities and services Jimoh (2012).
However, it is also one of the most hazardous sectors, as it exposes workers to various risks that
can affect their health and safety. According to previous studies, construction projects are

1
responsible for a large proportion of occupational injuries and fatalities, as well as occupational
diseases such as cancer, dermatitis, back pain and hearing loss. Various construction-related
activities are inherently dangerous to workers' health and safety, including working at heights,
underground, in uncomfortable areas, and close to falling objects; handling loads by hand;
handling hazardous materials; using machinery; dealing with noises; using plant and equipment;
dealing with fire; coming into contact with live cables; and maintaining a messy work space,
among other things. Previous studies in the area clearly demonstrate that building projects
frequently pose a threat to the lives of workers, and that significant accidents and fatalities
happen frequently in the sector. The construction industry, employing the largest labor force, has
accounted for about 11% of all occupational injuries and 20% deaths resulting from occupational
accidents. For instance, in Addis Ababa some 23 people died in 2015 alone in construction-
related activities, said the city’s Fire and Emergency Services (FES).

Risky conduct and unsafe surroundings are the main causes of most accidents in the building
construction industry. These accidents not only affect the project timeline, cost, and quality, but
also endanger the lives of the workers. Therefore, health and safety issues are a major and global
concern that needs careful attention and research. The aim of this study is to evaluate the
performance of building construction projects in Addis Ababa with respect to safety and health
standards, and to suggest recommendations and corrective actions to promote safe and healthy
work practices.

This research aims to assess the safety and health management practices in Sunshine
Construction Plc. in Addis Ababa and to propose the best and most advanced techniques for
improving project safety and health management.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Ethiopia's building construction has seen significant growth recently, particularly in Addis
Ababa city. The rising pace of urbanization has boosted demand for Addis Ababa services from
residential and commercial customers, which has increased the number of construction activities.
In high-rise structures in Addis Ababa, many construction workers are falling sick and dying on
the job, yet health and safety concerns are not given enough attention. Although many accidents
go unreported, the current state of affairs is very worrying. Construction sites do not give much
attention to health and safety.

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According to a study by Tadesse and Israel (2016), the prevalence of injury among building
construction employees in Addis Ababa was 38.3% in the past 1 year. The main factors
associated with injury were lack of personal protective equipment, work experience, and chat
chewing. The study recommended that programs to mitigate the burden of construction-related
injuries should focus on areas such as provision of safety training, promoting use of PPE and
monitoring substance abuse in workplace.

However, there are also other critical risks that affect the performance of construction projects in
Ethiopia, such as unforeseen site conditions, improper design, incomplete contract documents,
inflation, lack of timely decision making, scope change, political instability, payment delay, lack
of approvals, corruption, and poor contract administration (Yadeta, 2016). These risks can cause
delays, cost overruns, quality defects, and disputes among project stakeholders.

Moreover, the Ethiopian building proclamation No 624/2009 states that any building shall be
designed and constructed in such a way that it shall not impair the safety of people moving
around, other constructions and properties. This implies that the construction industry has a legal
obligation to ensure the safety of not only its workers but also the public and the environment.
However, there is a gap between the legal framework and the actual practice of health and safety
in construction projects in Ethiopia.

When compared to budgeted costs, planned quality, and scheduled time, health and safety
management is not given priority. However, these factors are essential for the success of project
management and construction projects. Delays in the project can increase costs and affect the
quality of the work. One of the main causes of delays in construction is accidents, which pose a
serious risk to workers (Abrahamsen and Hall, 2013). Health and safety practices should not be
neglected, but rather prioritized by all stakeholders of the project. The project will achieve its
objectives more effectively if health and safety are given equal importance as budget and time.

One of the challenges of ensuring health and safety on construction sites is the diversity of
workers' backgrounds and awareness levels. Different workers may require different types of
training and communication to understand and follow the best practices in the field. Moreover,
many workers in developing countries lack the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and
technology to create a safe and healthy working environment on their sites. This leads to poor

3
health and safety practices that persist despite various efforts to improve them over the years
(Samuel, H.et al.2012). Developing countries often fail to recognize the importance of health and
safety in the construction industry for their national development (Michael Fosu, 2018).

This research aimed to address the use of safety material in construction area and to help health
and safety management practices in high-rise buildings in Addis Ababa city. The motivation for
this research was the personal observation and experience of the low priority given to safety
management issues in the construction industry. The research suggested a solution to the safety
management problems and offered practical advice and recommendations to improve the
knowledge and implementation of effective safety management in construction projects.

1.3 Research Questions

 What Health and Safety Management practices are implemented during the construction
phase of high-rise buildings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia?
 When it comes to the construction of high-rise building structures, are staffs provided
enough health and safety training?
 How does the policies and regulations implemented to the development of high-rise
building structures in terms of health and safety?
 How the important safety and health precautions do implemented in today's high-rise
building projects?
 What are the most serious safety and health hazards connected with high-rise
construction?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.4.1 Main Objective

 The general objective of this research is to assess the safety and health practices used
during the construction phase of high-rise buildings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

 To examine if enough health and safety training is given to the staff of high rise building
projects.
 To assess the implementation of health and safety laws and regulations that is employed
in the construction of high-rise structures.

4
  To assess the implementation of the most important safety and health precautions in
today's high-rise building projects.
 To identify the primary safety and health hazards related to the development of high-rise
buildings in Addis Ababa

1.5 Significance of the Study

The construction sector depends on the well-being of its workers. This study aimed to show the
importance of their lives. It proposed a way to make health and safety management a key
concern.

This study is important because it aimed to reveal the current practices of health and safety
management and identify the main problems that need to be addressed to reduce injuries and
deaths in building construction projects.

The study provides valuable insights for enhancing accident prevention skills, creating a safe
work environment, and ensuring the safety of construction workers during the building phase. It
also offers guidance for junior scholars who want to pursue research on this topic.

1.6 Scope of the study and limitations of the study

The purpose of the study is to evaluate safety and health management procedures in building
construction projects carried out by Sunshine Construction plc.

The subject of safety and health management practice of construction projects in general, the
case in the Ethiopian construction industry have not been adequately researched; hence, it may
take time to collect all the data necessary about all stakeholders for the research. Due to time
constraints, the research only focuses on Addis Ababa-based building construction projects. It
was challenging to get enough data, which led to more empirical findings that might not be
representative of the construction sector as a whole.

1.7 Organization of the Study

The research paper will have five chapters. The first chapter deals with introduction. The second
chapter deals with literature review in which critical review of relevant previous scholars work in
the research topic will be presented. Chapter three discusses the research methodology. Chapter
four discusses the findings of the study with data analysis, presentation and interpretation.

5
Finally, the fifth chapter includes summary of findings, conclusions, recommendation, research
contribution and further studies required.

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

6
2.1 Introduction
This chapter reviews various literature sources that relate to the theoretical and empirical
framework of this research. The literature sources cover different aspects of construction site
safety, such as the activities and participants involved, the process and the elements that
influence it, and the challenges and best practices in different countries and contexts. The
purpose of this literature review is to establish the current state of knowledge and identify the
gaps that this research aims to fill.

2.2 Theoretical Review

2.2.1 Health and Safety Definition

Construction sites are among the most dangerous workplaces and environments, where workers
and others face higher risks of death, illness, and injury than in other sectors. Construction
activities can result in serious harm to the health and safety of workers, employees, and non-
employees, such as visitors, clients, or the public. Employers and others have a legal and moral
duty to ensure the well-being, safety, and health of everyone involved in or affected by
construction work. Workers should not be expected to work in hazardous sites or situations
where they may be injured or killed (Perry, 1).

Health is the protection of the bodies and minds of people from illness resulting from the
materials, processes or procedures used in the workplace (OSHA, 2004). The ability of a body to
adapt to new dangers and ailments was the definition of health given by researchers published in
the Lancet in 2009. According to the study, being in excellent health refers to a person's overall
welfare, which is characterized by physical wellbeing, mental tranquility, and positive social
connection. Every element of our life is impacted by health. Life without health is a difficult
concept to grasp.

Safety is the prevention of harm to people's physical well-being. It encompasses all the actions
and policies that aim to safeguard people's health and bodily integrity in different settings. Safety
can be assessed by various indicators that track the occurrence of near misses, injuries, illnesses,
and deaths in the workplace. Safety also implies that a person is aware of the benefits of
behaving properly and the dangers of acting recklessly, irresponsibly, or wrongly. Situations that
pose a threat to people can be managed safely, but failing to do so creates risk. As (Allan St.

7
John, 2015) defines it, safety is a state of security and a condition free of risk. An injury is
therefore an outcome of an accident but not the only possible one.

Accident is defined by the Health and safety Executive as any unplanned event that results in
injury or ill health of people, or damage or loss to property, plant, materials or the environment
or a loss of a business opportunity (HSE, 2003).

Risk assessment; (OSHA, 2004) define is the process to look at the conditions workers are
exposed to the hazards and determine whether the hazards likely to cause any harm to the
workers.

Hazard and risk means integral potential of any machine, material, or ambient factors to cause
illness or injury from contact with or exposure to construction (Ethiopian Building Code
Standards., 2013).

Risk can be ranked in relation to other risks or a potential level of danger. A substance, action, or
process poses a risk if there is a chance it will be harmful. According to the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE), risk is the likelihood, whether great or low, that a person would suffer injury as
a result of the hazard. Risk, according to Hertz (1983), is the exposure to the possibility of harm
or loss (a definition derived from the Random House College Dictionary).

Risk is described by (Lim, 2003) as either the probability of an unfavorable event, a mix of
hazards, the unpredictability and partiality with which the actual outcome deviates from the
predicted result, the uncertainty surrounding loss, or the likelihood of loss. Risk will be visible at
every stage of a construction project's life cycle, including the assessment, approval,
construction, and operation (Perry, 1985).

2.2.2 Construction Safety in Ethiopia

One of the industries with the fastest growth rates in Ethiopia is the building industry. According
to (Adane MM et al, 2013), emerging nations like Ethiopia are working hard to improve their
fundamental services by constructing roads, factories, bridges, housing complexes, hospitals,
schools, and other infrastructure. However, all of these building tasks are done at a low cost by
unskilled labor forces. These workers have a high rate of occupational injuries and accidents
because to factors like poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of training in health and safety as well as

8
knowledge of the risks to their health at work. These workers are known to experience jobs that
change quickly, intense competition, and attacks from unemployment.

The construction industry is a vital sector for Ethiopia's economic development, as it provides
infrastructure, housing and industrial parks. However, the safety and health of the workers in this
industry are often neglected and exposed to various hazards. According to a study by (Hanna et
al. 2016), only few researches have been done to assess the occupational safety and health status
of construction workers in Ethiopia. There is a need to address this issue and improve the
working environment for the workers in this sector.

Construction workers in developing countries face more occupational health and safety hazards
than those in industrial countries. These hazards also have a higher impact on them, ranging from
10 to 20 times more than in industrial countries. This is where most of the world's workforce is
located, according to Dong (2005).

The poor safety practices among building construction workers in Ethiopia are because of unsafe
conditions such as:

- Lack of accident prevention tags: These are signs or labels that warn employees of an
existing hazard or a hazardous procedure on or around machines or equipment. They are
a temporary means of protection until the hazard is eliminated or controlled. According to
a study by Tadesse and Israel (2016), only 18.4% of building construction workers in
Addis Ababa reported using accident prevention tags.
- Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE): This is any equipment used to eliminate or
minimize a specific occupational injury by a worker. It includes items such as helmets,
gloves, boots, goggles, masks, ear plugs, etc. The use of PPE is a universal legal
requirement and recommended action of workers to protect themselves from injuries in
their workplace. However, a study by Alemu et al. (2020) found that only 38% of
building construction workers in Addis Ababa utilized at least one PPE. The main
reasons for non-utilization of PPE were unavailability of the materials and the absence of
orientation on using PPE.
- Lack of safety training: This is any form of education or instruction that aims to improve
the knowledge, skills and attitudes of workers regarding occupational safety and health. It

9
 covers topics such as hazard identification, risk assessment, accident prevention,
emergency response, first aid, etc. Safety training is essential for raising awareness and
promoting safe behaviors among workers. However, a systematic review and meta-
analysis by Girma et al. (2021) found that only 35% of construction workers in Ethiopia
received safety training. The lack of safety training was associated with increased risk of
occupational injury.
- Lack of supervision: This is the process of monitoring and controlling the activities and
performance of workers to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations. It
involves providing feedback, guidance and support to workers to prevent accidents and
injuries. Supervision can be done by employers, managers, supervisors or governmental
agencies. A study by Alemu et al. (2020) found that only 36% of building construction
workers in Addis Ababa reported having supervision on their work sites. The presence of
supervision was significantly associated with higher utilization of PPE.

The main reason for most workplace injuries is the poor working conditions in the construction
industry. However, personal factors also play a significant role in increasing the risk of
accidents. These factors include being young, having low education level, being inexperienced,
being unhappy with the job, not exercising regularly, working long hours, working at night and
not wearing personal protective equipment (Wong, 1994; Huang and Chen, 2002; Chau et al.,
2004; Bresciani et al., 2012, Dong et al., 2015). Many construction workers are unaware of the
importance of wearing protective equipment on the job sites. They find it inconvenient and
uncomfortable to wear them while working (Griffin and Neal, 2000).

These factors contribute to the high prevalence of work-related injury among building
construction workers in Ethiopia, which was estimated to be 38.7% in Gondar and 38.3% in
Addis Ababa. The most common types of injuries were abrasions, cuts, fractures and burns.
These injuries can have serious consequences for the workers' health, well-being and
productivity, as well as for their families and society.

2.3 Empirical Review

2.3.1 The Nature of the Construction Industry

10
The construction industry is characteristically one in which most of its products are unique with
respect to form, size, and purpose (Berger 1998). Whereas they are not unique, work operations,
which are similar and repetitive, are often executed in work environments which change from
hour to hour due to several factors such as weather conditions, locations, and height.
Construction workers are constantly expected, therefore, to familiarize themselves with new
situations that may be potentially hazardous.

One of the main features of the construction industry is its diversity and complexity. The
industry comprises a wide range of sectors, such as residential building, non-residential building,
infrastructure, and specialized construction. Each sector has its own specific characteristics,
challenges, and opportunities. The industry also involves a large number of stakeholders, such as
clients, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, designers, engineers, consultants, and regulators.
The coordination and collaboration among these stakeholders is essential for the successful
delivery of construction projects (Statista 2023).

Another characteristic of the construction industry is its cyclical and volatile nature. The demand
for construction output is influenced by various factors, such as economic conditions, population
growth, urbanization trends, environmental issues, and government policies. The construction
industry tends to follow the fluctuations of the gross domestic product (GDP) and is often
affected by recessions and recoveries. The industry also faces challenges such as rising costs,
skills shortages, safety risks, and sustainability concerns (ONS 2022).

One of the major challenges faced by the construction industry is the impact of natural
phenomena on the working environment. Weather and climatic conditions can change rapidly
and unpredictably, creating various hazards for the workers and the project. For example, heavy
rain can cause flooding, landslides, and structural damage; strong winds can blow away materials
and equipment; extreme heat or cold can affect the health and productivity of the workers; and
earthquakes can compromise the stability and safety of the buildings.

The construction industry faces many challenges due to the involvement of various stakeholders
and participants throughout the project lifecycle. One of the main challenges is fragmentation,
which leads to negative outcomes such as higher costs, lower productivity, poor communication,
excessive and redundant documentation, ineffective and inefficient project management,

11
unnecessary delays, unsatisfactory quality performance and poor safety performance. The
construction industry needs to improve its health and safety culture to overcome these issues and
deliver successful projects.

2.3.2 Causes of Accidents on Building Construction

One of the major challenges facing developing countries is the low level of safety in various
sectors, especially in the workplace. Many of these countries lack adequate safety laws and
regulations, or fail to enforce them effectively. This situation is often due to the weak authority
and capacity of the institutions responsible for occupational safety and health (OSH). According
to the ILO, OSH legislation is essential for creating a preventive culture and reducing
occupational accidents and diseases.

The Ethiopian construction sector is growing rapidly due to the high demand for infrastructure
development and urbanization. However, this growth also brings challenges and risks for the
construction workers who are exposed to various hazards and injuries on the job. Therefore, it is
essential to identify the factors that contribute to accidents on building construction sites and
propose effective measures to prevent them.

Accidents are not inevitable events that occur randomly, but rather the result of complex
interactions between human, technical, and environmental factors. According to Ridley (1986),
99 percent of accidents are caused by unsafe behavior, hazardous conditions, or a combination of
both. Therefore, accidents can be prevented by eliminating or reducing these factors. Similarly,
Sermolo (2014) stated that accidents in the construction industry are caused by poor working
conditions and environments as well as a lack of personal protective equipment. Unsafe behavior
is defined as a deviation from an accepted standard or procedure that could lead to an accident.
Unsafe condition is defined as a physical state or circumstance that poses an immediate risk of an
accident. Most accidents are the result of multiple contributing factors, including one or more
unsafe behaviors and unsafe conditions. Various accident causation models have been developed
to explain the underlying mechanisms and processes of accident occurrence and prevention (Fu
et al., 2020). These models can be classified into four categories: human-based, statistics-based,
energy-based, and system-based models (Wu et al., 2023). Human-based models focus on the
human factors of an accident, such as human error, violation, and accident proneness. Statistics-
based models use accident statistics to study the relationship between the number and severity of

12
accidents. Energy-based models consider accidents as the result of uncontrolled release or
transfer of energy. System-based models view accidents as the emergent properties of complex
socio-technical systems.

One of the goals of researchers is to understand the causes of accidents and how they can be
prevented. (Murie F., 2007) suggests that accidents can be attributed to either technical or human
errors. (Heinrich, 1980) proposes a theory of accident causation that identifies several factors
that contribute to an accident. These factors can be classified into environmental and behavioral
issues. Behavioral factors involve the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of the workers.
Environmental factors include the physical and mechanical hazards and the condition of the
equipment and procedures.

A common theme in the literature on construction safety is the role of environmental factors in
causing injuries. For example, Taylor (2004) identified hazards at work and standards as key
factors affecting safety performance. Similarly, Lubega (2001) found that construction accidents
in Uganda were mainly caused by disregard for safety standards, using unskilled labor, and
awareness of safety regulations. Tam (2004) also agreed with this view and argued that
managers' insufficient safety awareness, lack of training, unwillingness to give resources to
safety, and careless operations were the primary factors affecting safety in China.

According to a study by Dejus (2007), the main causes of fatal and serious accidents on
construction sites in the Lithuanian Republic are lack of training, inexperienced workers, and a
failure to comprehend risk. Similarly, Hamid et al. (2008) conducted a survey in Malaysia to
determine the factors affecting safety performance on construction sites. They discovered that
unsafe practices, such as faulty procedures, knowledge level, and disobedience protocols, are the
most common causes of accidents on construction sites. Other common causes of accidents on
construction sites include falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, crane accidents, vehicle
accidents, exposure to toxic chemicals, and fires and explosions (Wilson Kehoe Winingham
LLC, 2014; Dream Civil, 2020). These findings suggest that there is a need for improving the
safety awareness, training, and management of construction workers and managers in order to
prevent or reduce the occurrence of accidents on construction sites.

13
Holt (2001) identified several secondary factors that contributed to accidents in construction
projects, besides the primary ones such as human error, equipment failure, and environmental
hazards (Smith et al., 1999; Jones and Lee, 2000). These secondary factors included management
issues such as financial constraints, lack of commitment, insufficient policy and standards,
inadequate knowledge and information, limited training and task selection, and poor quality
control systems. He also mentioned other challenges that increased the risk of injuries and deaths
in construction sites, such as incomplete connections, temporary facilities, limited spaces,
unstable work surfaces, changing work sites, multiple tasks, and groups working close together.

2.3.3 Factors Affecting Safety on Construction Projects

One of the major challenges in improving occupational health and safety is the disparity between
developed and developing countries. While developed countries have established and enforced
strict safety regulations to protect workers from hazards, developing countries often lack such
measures or fail to implement them effectively. According to Hinze (1997), this problem stems
from the weakness of the authority in developing countries to ensure compliance with safety
rules and programs. As a result, workers in developing countries face higher risks of injuries and
illnesses than their counterparts in developed countries. This is supported by the data from the
International Labour Organization (ILO), which shows that the fatal injury rate for workers in
low-income countries is 18.4 per 100,000 workers, compared to 3.6 per 100,000 workers in high-
income countries (ILO 2018).

The construction industry is one of the most important sectors in developing countries, but it also
faces many challenges related to safety, health, and the environment. These challenges are more
pronounced in poor countries, where these aspects are often neglected or poorly enforced on
construction sites. However, as these countries are striving to improve their infrastructure and
development, they need to pay more attention to the health and safety of their workers and the
impact of their projects on the environment. According to (Hinze, 2005), health and safety are
critical for the success of any project, not only in terms of cost, quality, and time, but also in
terms of human lives and well-being. If a worker dies or becomes permanently disabled as a
result of a construction accident, the project will suffer from moral, legal, and financial
consequences. (Enshassi et al., 2009) also argue that improving health and safety on construction
sites can bring many benefits, such as reducing accident costs, increasing productivity,

14
enhancing human relations, and improving the reputation of the organizations involved.
Therefore, it is essential to identify and address the factors that affect the performance of
construction projects in terms of safety, health, and the environment, and to adopt best practices
and standards that can ensure the protection of workers and the public. Some of these factors and
practices are discussed by (Boadu et al. 2020), who explored the characteristics of the
construction industry in developing countries and their implications for health and safety; by ILO
(2015), who provided a global overview of the hazards and risks faced by construction workers;
and by (Manu et al. 2019), who edited a book on construction health and safety in developing
countries with case studies from Africa, Asia, and South America.

The socio-cultural perspective explores how social groups construct meanings of risk and how
social factors and experiences influence a person's understanding and perceptions of risk. The
main rationale of this approach is that communication, judgment, and risk evaluation are not
produced in isolation from social context. They are part of a continuous social dialogue about
attitudes, information, power relations, previous experiences, and social norms. This paradigm
has adopted the social theory of risk, and both individualism and constructivism are important
elements. This group of people responds to risk based on their personality, knowledge, and
experience (Rayner, 1992). According to this perspective, risk is not an objective property of the
world, but a subjective interpretation that varies across cultures and contexts (Douglas and
Wildavsky, 1982; Slovic et al., 2004). Therefore, different social groups may have different
perceptions and preferences regarding risk management and policy (Kasperson et al., 1988; Renn
et al., 1992).

According to Healey (2006), some of the human factors that can contribute to major accidents in
various industries are:

 Complacency: This is the tendency to overlook or underestimate potential risks or

hazards due to overconfidence, familiarity, or routine. Complacency can lead to errors of
omission, such as failing to check equipment, follow procedures, or communicate
effectively.
 Violations: These are deliberate deviations from rules, standards, or procedures that are
intended to ensure safety and reliability. Violations can result from pressure, incentives,
peer influence, lack of supervision, or rationalization.

15
  Excessive working hours: This is the situation where workers are required or choose to
work beyond their normal or optimal hours, resulting in mental fatigue, reduced alertness,
impaired judgments, and increased error rates.
 Inadequate procedures: These are procedures that are missing, unclear, outdated,
impractical, or inconsistent with the actual work situation. Inadequate procedures can
cause confusion, uncertainty, inefficiency, and non-compliance among workers.
 Communication issues: These are problems that arise from ineffective or insufficient
exchange of information among workers, teams, departments, or organizations.
Communication issues can cause misunderstandings, conflicts, delays, errors, and
accidents.
 Pressure to meet production targets: This is the demand or expectation to achieve certain
levels of output, quality, or performance within a given time frame. Pressure can motivate
workers to improve their efficiency and productivity, but it can also induce stress,
distraction, haste, and shortcuts that compromise safety and reliability.
 Poor management practices: These are actions or decisions by managers or leaders that
adversely affect the safety culture, climate, or performance of an organization. Poor
management practices can include inadequate planning, organizing, directing,
controlling, monitoring, or supporting of workers and activities.
 Inadequate safety management systems: These are systems that are either missing,
incomplete, ineffective, or poorly implemented to identify, assess, control, monitor, and
review safety risks and hazards. Inadequate safety management systems can result in
insufficient prevention, detection, mitigation, or recovery from major accidents.
 Inadequate training: This is the lack of appropriate knowledge, skills, or abilities among
workers to perform their tasks safely and reliably. Inadequate training can result from
insufficient resources, time, methods, content, or evaluation of training programs.
Inadequate training can also include emergency response, fire and safety and
maintenance errors.

These human factors can interact with each other and with technical and environmental factors to
create complex and dynamic situations that increase the likelihood and severity of major
accidents.

16
A detailed environmental impact assessment should be conducted before to the start of any
project to ensure that the environment won't be harmed in any way. Assessment of risks may be
made by considering the work place environment factors as stated (OSHA, 2004) state the
following five factors:

 The air concentration of fumes vapor’s and dust generated from the work processes;
 The effectiveness of ventilation on site to control the air contaminants;
 The likelihood of skin or eye contact with corrosive/irritating substances;
 The exposure of the workers to hazardous physical agents, e.g. noise, heat and radiation;
 The ergonomic factors, e.g. repetitive tasks and manual handling.

A comprehensive review of the existing literature on construction safety reveals that there are six
main factors that influence the safety performance of construction projects. These factors are:
human factors, which include the skills, attitudes, behaviors, and training of the workers and
managers involved in the construction process; regulations, which refer to the laws, standards,
and policies that govern the construction industry and its safety practices; technical factors,
which encompass the design, materials, equipment, and methods used in the construction
activities; environmental considerations, which involve the physical, social, and climatic
conditions of the construction site and its surroundings; management factors, which relate to the
planning, organization, coordination, communication, and control of the construction project and
its safety aspects; and other concerns, which cover any additional issues that may affect the
safety of the construction workers and stakeholders. These factors provide a useful framework
for analyzing and improving the safety performance of construction projects.

2.3.4 The Costs and Impacts of Accidents on a Construction Site

Accident costs can be classified into two categories: direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs,
which are often covered by workmen's compensation insurance premiums, include those related
to the treatment of the injury and any special compensation provided to workers as a result of
being hurt (Pillay and Haupt, 2008). The primary costs associated with injuries are their direct
costs, which are also known as insurable costs. Medical expenses, insurance premiums for
benefits, liabilities, and property damages are examples of direct costs. In most cases, the direct
expenses may be accurately calculated.

17
Indirect costs, which are paid for by contractors, include lost productivity for the injured
worker(s) as well as the crew or workforce, clean-up costs, replacement costs, stand-by costs,
overtime costs, administrative costs, replacement worker orientation, costs associated with
delays, supervision costs, costs associated with rescheduling, transportation, and wages paid
while the injured worker is on the unable to work list.

Accident indirect costs are more challenging to determine (Pillay and Haupt, 2008). The majority
of non-insurable costs incurred as a result of an injury are considered indirect costs. The costs
that are indirect are those that remain hidden and for which no past information is kept. Reduced
productivity for both the team or employees and the returned workers is an example of an
indirect cost. Other indirect costs include clean-up costs, replacement costs, stand-by costs,
overtime costs, administrative costs, replacement worker orientation, costs associated with
delays, supervision costs, costs associated with rescheduling, transportation, and wages paid
while the injured worker is on rest.

According to (Heinrich, 1980), a study of several injuries was undertaken, and the results
showed that the indirect costs of injuries were almost four times higher than the direct expenses.
The four to one ratio that Heinrich proposed seems to have found support in the safety
profession. However, the building sector does not generally accept this indirect to direct cost
ratio. The researchers divided the cost of building accidents into two main categories, direct
costs, and indirect costs, to better understand the literature studies mentioned above.

2.3.5 Implementation of safety management challenges in Ethiopian

The building industry is a key driver of economic growth in many countries, especially in
developing ones. However, the level of mechanization in this sector varies widely across
different regions, nations and sectors. Mechanization is the process of shifting from doing work
mostly or entirely by hand to doing it using machines. It can offer many benefits, such as faster
completion, higher quality, lower cost, less waste and safer work conditions. Some factors that
influence the adoption of mechanization in the building industry are availability, suitability,
uniformity, size, standardization, origin, cost and function of equipment. Some examples of
mechanized equipment are earth moving, hauling and hoisting machines.

18
The quality and efficiency of construction projects in developing countries often leave much to
be desired. Clients and taxpayers do not get the best value for their money, and the buildings do
not meet the standards of modern and competitive businesses. Moreover, the construction
industry in these countries suffers from a high rate of accidents and injuries, due to the absence
of rigorous building and safety regulations.

Because of the large number of seasonal and migrant workers, Kartam (1998) discovered that
most developing nations, like India, do not have training programmers for employees. As a
result, there is no orientation for new employees or workers, no warning of potential hazards, and
no safety meetings. Employees are required to gain knowledge from their own errors and
encounters.

In developed countries, various safety laws and regulations are in place and enforced effectively.
Trained safety officers conduct regular safety training sessions to raise awareness of potential
risks. In contrast, developing nations may lack safety regulations altogether, or have ones that are
inadequate, ineffective, outdated, and based on colonial-era conditions because they are merely
imitations. Moreover, the regulatory authority is usually very weak in enforcing rules, and
workers may not recognize work hazards or underestimate their severity (Larcher, 1999).

2.3.6 Health and Safety Management in Ethiopian Construction

Occupational health services (OSH) are essential for ensuring the well-being and productivity of
workers in different sectors and regions. However, there is a huge gap in the availability and
accessibility of OSH services worldwide. According to the International Labour Organization
(ILO), only 15% of workers globally have access to OSH services, and this figure drops to 5% in
developing countries. Ethiopia is one of the developing countries that face many challenges in
providing OSH services to its workforce, especially as it transitions from an agriculture-based
economy to an industrial-led one. This transition requires the development of infrastructure and
standards that can protect workers and the environment from the hazards and risks associated
with industrial activities. The United Nations Assembly has called for a Universal Access to
OSH services for all workers, including those in the informal sector, by 2017. Ethiopia is
expected to comply with this international commitment and to improve its OSH legislation based
on the ILO Convention No. 161 on Occupational Health Services. The lack of OSH services can
have serious consequences for workers' health and safety, as well as for the economic and social

19
development of the country. It is estimated that work-related injuries and diseases cost
developing countries up to 10% of their GDP. Therefore, Ethiopia needs to invest in OSH
services as a priority and as a means of achieving sustainable development.

According to Article 92 of Labor Proclamation No 377/06, employers have the basic duty to
provide safe, healthy and hazard-free workplaces for their workers. However, the
implementation of this regulation is still a challenge. One of the reasons is the lack of awareness
or interest of employers or investors who prioritize profits over OSH Services. Another reason is
the limited capacity of OSH inspectors in terms of hazard assessment, measurement equipment,
technical skills and human resources (Kumie et al., 2016). OSH Services are services that help
industries and organizations comply with OSH legislations and standards, and improve their
workplace health and safety practices (AMIOSH; OSH-Med International; OSH, 2012).

2.3.7 Construction Health and Safety Responsibilities

Construction health and safety should be of primary concern to employers, employees,
governments and project participants (Kheni, 2008). Thus the main parties responsible for
construction health and safety are the client, main contractor, regulatory agencies and employees.

In order to assure safety and health of the working environment for workers by empowering
enforcement of the standards developed under the act. For these reason, the Health and Safety at
Work Act 1974 (HSW, 1974) is the basis of British health and safety law, It summaries the
lawful requirements of the employers and the other people that many be included. A significant
section of the act is the forming of the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and the (Health and
Safety Commission). The act created by both Health and Safety Executive and the Health and
Safety Commission (HSC) to attain the intended goal.

In Kuwait the practice of health and safety is controlled by two government agencies, Kuwait
Municipality (KM) and Ministry of Public Work (MPW) in addition to the High Committee for
Safety and Security at the state level (Kartam and Bouz, 1998).

Unlike many countries, in Ethiopia Labor proclamation No 377/06 states that there is one
comprehensive labor law that is Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) the Federal
Governmental Agency who’s operating in order to address all aspects of ensuring labor relation
to be governed with basic fundamental rights and obligation focusing on industrial peace in all

20
work places. The establishment of the services has the objective of preventing injuries, diseases,
creating of harmonious and peaceful industrial relations where there are no strikes and industrial
unrest.

2.3.8 Elements of Construction Safety Management System

The new workplace safety and health act (WSHA, 2006) lists six key obligations of contractors
with regards to construction safety, Viz (MOM, 2006):

1. Ensuring that the workers are not exposed to hazards arising out of the arrangement,
disposal, manipulation, organization, processing, storage, transport, working or use of
things in their workplace or near their workplace under the control of the contractor;
2. Ensuring that adequate safety measures are taken in respect of any machinery, equipment,
plant, article or process used by the workers;
3. Providing and maintaining a workplace that is safe, without risk to health, and adequate
as regards to facilities and arrangements for the workers’ welfare at work;
4. Ensuring that every work person has adequate instruction, information, training and
supervision as is necessary for that person to perform the work;
5. Developing and implementing procedures for dealing with emergencies that may arise
while the workers are at work; and
6. Giving the workers all necessary information about the way the activities and operations
on site are conducted as might affect their safety or health while they are on site.

21
2.4 Conceptual Frame Work
The following research conceptual framework is set out based on the theoretical and empirical
literature review to provide the research project with a practical structure.

Input Output

Implementing Safety policy

and regulation

Good Safety and Health

Safety and health training management practices

Safety budget

budget

Accidents

Challenges of
managing Safety and
Health in high-rise
construction

Figure 1 Research Conceptual Framework

22
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLGY

3.1 Introduction
This chapter covers the study area's description, the research theory, the method used in this
study and its justification, the study population and sampling techniques, the sources and
collection of the study's data, and the method of data analysis. The overall process used to carry
out this investigation is discussed.

3.2 Research Approach

A research approach is a way of conducting a study that follows a certain logic and
methodology. It involves defining the problem, formulating the research questions, collecting
and analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions. A research approach can be based on different
theoretical perspectives, such as positivism and pragmatism (Creswell, 2003). According to Liu
(2003), there are two main types of research approaches: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative
research focuses on exploring and understanding the meanings and experiences of people in their
natural settings, while quantitative research emphasizes measurement and testing of hypotheses
using numerical data. However, Creswell (2003) also proposed a third type of research approach,
which he called mixed methods. This approach combines both qualitative and quantitative
methods in a single study, aiming to achieve a more comprehensive and balanced understanding
of the phenomenon under investigation.

3.2.1 Qualitative Research Approach

According to (Yin, 2003), the qualitative method allows the respondent to express themselves
freely, which can yield valuable data that the quantitative method would miss. (Creswell ,2013)
noted that qualitative data offer rich and detailed insights through direct quotes and careful
descriptions of programs, situations, events, people, interactions and observed behaviors. He also
added that the qualitative inquiry uses different knowledge claims, strategies of inquiry and
methods of data collection and analysis. Qualitative research methods include various
techniques, such as case study, content analysis, interview and observation, as well as guide
theory and literature. This study chose the questionnaire survey as the qualitative technique of

23
inquiry for this research project, rather than the other techniques, based on the rationale that is
explained in the following section.

3.2.2 Quantitative Research Approach

The quantitative research method adopts a deductive and objective view, which is characterized
by tangible data such as counts, weight, mass, and other physical measures. (Creswell, 2009)
states that, in the quantitative approach the researcher use survey or experiment to collect data
needed to see cause and effect relationship among variables of interest. The major benefit of the
quantitative approach is that it enables the researcher to utilize statistical techniques to make
generalization about the population.

3.2.3 Mixed Research Approach

The mixed research approach is a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to
data collection, the analysis of data and other phases of the research process. The mixed method
approach involves collecting both numeric and text information, either simultaneously or
sequentially, so as to best understand research problems, with the final database representing
both quantitative and qualitative information (Creswell and Clark, 2007). (Creswell, 2014)
acknowledged that the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches provides a more
complete understanding of a research problem than either approach alone.

Taking into consideration the significance of applying mixed method in modern research, the
researcher used mixed method which combines quantitative and qualitative techniques for the
reasons of achieving credibility of result, for better interpretation of result.

3.3 Research Design

The research used a mixed of qualitative and quantitative approach. Thus, it is more than simply
collecting and analyzing both kinds of data. So to successfully achieve the research objectives
and answer the stated research questions, the study was used descriptive research approach.
Descriptive design used since it is a scientific method which involves observing and describing
the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way and it provides a great amount of
description and detail about a particular case.

24
3.3.1Target Population
Hair et al., (2010) states target population as a specified group of people or object for which
questions can be asked or observed to collect required data structures and information. The target
population for this research will be construction workers working in 4 high rise buildings
constructed by sunshine construction PLC in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

So Project Managers, Site Engineers, Foreman, Daily labor workers and Structural managers
totally 80 peoples are a target population for the research.

3.4 Sampling technique and Sample size

A non-probability convenience sampling technique will be used for the research, in which
samples from the target population will be selected based on their proximity to the researcher.
Non-probability sampling refers to a sampling strategy where not every member of the
population has an equal chance of taking part in the study.

The sample size is determined using the Taro Yamane technique, which was developed by Taro
Yamane in 1967 to calculate the sample size from a given population.

n= N/ (1 + N (e) 2)

n=the sample size is indicated by the letter.

N= denotes the research population.
e= denotes the margin error = (0.05)
N = 80(total personnel of the firm in the four projects)
n = 80/ (1 + (0.05) 2) = 67 in this scenario (confidence level of 95 percent)

3.5 Source of Data

This study employed a mixed-methods approach, using both primary and secondary data sources
to address the research problem. Primary data were collected through questionnaires and self-
observation with various stakeholders involved in the construction projects, such as daily
laborers, skilled workers, foremen, engineers, and project managers. Site visits and observations
were also conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the project context and challenges.
Secondary data were obtained from published and unpublished literature related to the topic,
such as books, journals and reports.

25
3.6 Data collection methods
Based on the tools and processes for acquiring data, a questionnaire with closed-ended questions
will be used. In order to formulate the questions, the research questions will be employed. The
information is then spread and gathered. The main research information will come from
employees and will be gathered through closed-ended questionnaires. A Likert scale will be used
in the questionnaire (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3= undecided, 4=agree, and 5=strongly
agree) documents related to the topic will be gathered as well.

3.7 Data analysis

Data analysis is a systematic process of extracting meaningful insights from the data collected
for a specific study. The data analysis should be aligned with the research objectives and
questions. In this study, the researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative data analysis
methods to examine the data obtained from the questionnaire. The quantitative data from the
closed-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics (SPSS) to calculate the mean
scores of the variables. The data collected using observation and open-ended questions of the
questionnaire were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques together with the results
of the descriptive statistics in order to supplement one by the other.

Descriptive methods were used to analyses the questionnaires that were gathered from the
company's various construction skilled professionals. The outcomes of the analysis of the
descriptive data will be presented as percentages, frequencies, means, and standard deviation. As
a result, the data will be displayed in a table. Based on how respondents responded to the
questionnaire's questions, the Relative Important Index (RII) technique was used in Excel to rank
the significant safety management practices.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree;
N4= number of respondents for agree;
N3= number of respondents for neutral;
N2= number of respondents for disagree;
N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree
A=Highest weight; and

26
N=Total number of respondents

3.8 Validity and Reliability

To ensure the validity and reliability of the data collected from official sources, they will be verified with
other secondary sources. The data will also be updated to reflect the current situation. The purpose of
verification is to remove any errors or inconsistencies from the data and to increase the confidence level
of the data. This will help to produce a more accurate and trustworthy result. The internal reliability of
the questionnaire will be measured by Cronbach's alpha test, which will use SPSS software and the
formula to calculate the alpha value.

N=stands for the number of items

c̄ = stands for covariance between items
v̄ = stands for average variance.

No Variables Cronbach Alpha Number of

Value Questions
1 Safety and Health Policy and Regulation 0.860 7
2 Safety and Health Training 0.702 7
3 Safety and Health Precautions 0.867 7
4 Identification of Safety and Health Hazard 0.790 8
5 Safety and Health Management Practices 0.822 8
Table 1: CRONBACH ALPHA RESULTS

Individual variables have a value range of 0.790 to 0.867, according to the Cronbach’s Alpha values in
the above table, indicating that they have internal consistency and are reliable for further investigation.

3.9 Ethical considerations

This research followed the ethical principles that guide scientific inquiry and respect human
dignity. The researcher obtained informed consent from all the participants, who were free to
withdraw at any time. The researcher also protected the privacy and confidentiality of the
participants. The researcher minimized the potential for harm by ensuring that the research

27
procedures were safe and comfortable for the participants. The researcher also ensured fairness
and equity by selecting a diverse and representative sample of participants and avoiding any bias
or discrimination. The researcher disclosed the methods and objectives of the research clearly
and honestly. The researcher also acknowledged the sources of information and assistance that
contributed to the research, and respected the intellectual property rights of others.

28
CHATER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the analysis of the data gathered by questionnaires. It entails data analysis
and interpretation in order to form a conclusion and provide suggestions for high-rise building
safety management practices. This chapter also includes descriptive statistics which contains
broad demographic traits, and educational background, and respondent’s response is analyzed
and presented. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to accomplish the
stated objectives. In order to acquire the essential data and information in order to answer the
study questions, questionnaires were used as a data collection instrument. SPSS is used for
statistical testing and interpretation of the findings.

A total of 67 questionnaires were distributed to selected sampled employees, out of which 56

questionnaires was properly responded and collected by the researcher (response rate is 83.6%).

4.2 GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE RESPONDENTS

4.2.1 PROFILE OF DEMOGRAPHICS

The background information of respondents who completed the questionnaire, such as gender,
age, job position and educational qualification, work experience, and employment status in the
project, is shown in the figure below.

I. Gender Respondent

Figure 2 Genders of Respondents

27% Male
Female
73%

Source; own survey (2023)

29
According to the demographics of the respondents, 41 (73.21 percent) are male and 15 (26.79
percent) are female. This implies that gender proportion inequity in the construction sector as the
numbers of female engaged in the construction sector are small as compared to number of male
employees working in construction sector.

II. AGE OF RESPONDENTS

Figure 3 Ages of Respondents

14% 20-30
31-40
57% >41
29%

Source; own survey (2023)

32(57.14%) of the respondents were within the age group of (20-30), 16 (28.57%) of the
respondents were within the age group of (31-40) and 8(14.29) of the respondents were above 41
years old. This indicates that majority of responders were young.

III. JOB POSITION OF RESPONDENTS

Figure 4 Job Positions of the Respondents

11% Site ENG

7% Project Managers
41% Structural ENG
16% Consultant
Foreman
7% Daily Labor
7% 11% Residential ENG.

Source; own survey (2023)

30
Out of all respondents, 41.7%(23) were Site engineers, 16.07%(9) were Foremen, 11%(6) were
Project managers and Residential engineers, 7%(4) were Structural engineers, Consultants and
Daily labor workers. From this, we can analyze that, the majority of the respondents were site
engineers. The researcher feels that health and safety are the responsibility of all professions
involved in the study in some manner, and has attempted to engage as many as feasible.

IV. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OF RESPONDENTS

Figure 5 Educational backgrounds of the Respondents

7%
10%
13% Below Diploma
Diploma
Bachelor Degree
70% Master Degree

Source; own survey (2023)

As shown in the figure above, 70% of the respondents were Bachelor’s Degree holders, 13%
were Diploma holders, 10% were Master’s Degree holders and 7% were Below Diploma. It can
be seen that the construction industry has space for every education levels.

V. EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF RESPONDENTS

Figure 6 Employment’s' status of the Respondents

29%
Permanent
Contract
71%

Source; own survey (2023)

31
From the above figure, we can understand that 71.42% of our respondents were permanent
workers and 28.58% were contract workers. From this we can analyze the majority of our
respondents were permanent employees.

VI. Total Work Experience of Respondent’s

Figure 7 Total work experiences of the Respondents

3%
10%
Five or less
39%
12% 6 to 10
11 to 15
16 to 20
above 21
36%

Source; own survey (2023)

The figure above shows the work experience of the respondent’s. Most of them had 5 years or
less and 6-10 years of experiences which is 39% and 36% respectively, there were also
respondents with 11-15 years which is 12% there were also respondents of 16-20 years
experiences which is only 10% and 3% of respondents were above 21 years of experience. Those
with 10 years and above helped in explaining the situations in the construction industry but 5
years or less is enough to know the current practices in the company which can represent all high
rise real estate buildings since the practices are more or less similar.

4.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

On a five-point Likert Scale ranging from 1 to 5, respondents were given a series of questions
about safety and health management practices.(1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral,
4=agree, and 5=strongly agree). The following assumption underpins the mean score analysis.

If the mean statistical value falls between 0 and 1.5, the respondents strongly disagreed.

If the mean statistical value is between 1.5 and 2.5, the respondents disagreed.

32
If the mean statistical value falls between 2.5 and 3.5, the respondents are undecided.

If the mean statistical value is in the range of 3.5 to 4.5, the respondents agreed.

If the mean statistical value is more than 4.5, the respondents strongly agreed.

4.3.1 Descriptive Analysis of Safety Policy and Regulation on Construction Site

Table 2: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues

Descriptive Statistics
N Range Minim um Maxim um Mean Std. Variance
Deviation
Inspections are conducted by 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.7143 1.21677 1.481
local authorities and health and
safety enforcement organization

Workers are well educated on 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3393 1.21021 1.465
how to properly care for and
maintain personal protective
equipment
There is a proper health and 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.8036 1.18198 1.397
safety policy in place at your
construction company
The safety policy and regulation 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.5714 1.35991 1.849
are the latest up to date

The safety policy and regulation 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.2857 1.24629 1.553
are implemented through all
phases of the project

There is a specific department 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.2321 1.27908 1.636

that manages the safety policy
and regulation of the
construction site
There is a strong safety policy 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3750 1.07132 1.148
and regulation on site

Source; own survey (2023)

Regarding Inspections conducted by local authorities and health and safety enforcement
organizations, the mean value score is 3.71, which indicates that the majority of the respondents

33
agreed that local authorities check the health and safety performance of their construction site.
Regarding Workers being well educated on how to properly care for and maintain personal
protective equipment, the mean values score is 2.33, which indicates that the majority of the
respondents disagreed that workers are well educated on how to manage personal protective
equipment. Regarding there being a proper health and safety policy at their construction
company, the mean score is 2.80, which indicates that the majority of the respondents are neutral
on the existence of proper safety and health policy on their construction site. Regarding the
safety policy and regulations are the latest updated form, the mean score is 2.57, which indicates
the majority of the respondents are neutral in the existence of updated safety and health
regulation regarding the safety policy and regulations are implemented through all phases of the
project the mean score is 2.28, which indicated that they disagree on the implementation of
safety policy and regulation on all stages of the project. Regarding there is a specific department
that manages the safety policy and regulation of the construction site the mean score is 2.23,
which indicated they disagreed on the existence of a specific department that manages the safety
policy and regulation on the construction site. Regarding there is a strong safety policy and
regulation on site the mean score is 2.37, which indicates they disagreed on the existence of
strong safety and policy regulations on the construction site.

Analysis of the Standard Deviation Result

Regarding Inspections conducted by local authorities and health and safety enforcement
organizations, the standard deviation result is 1.21, which tells us that the respondent’s response
for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.21. Regarding of Workers being
well educated on how to properly care for and maintain personal protective equipment. , the
standard deviation result is 1.21, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.21. Regarding the existence of a proper health
and safety policy in place, the standard deviation result is 1.18, which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.18.
Regarding the safety policy and regulations is the latest update; the standard deviation result is
1.35, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total
average mean by 1.35. Regarding the safety policy and regulations are implemented through all
phases of the pr oject, the standard deviation result is 1.24, which tells us that the respondent’s

34
response for this specific question far from the total average mean by 1.24. Regarding there is a
specific department that manages the safety policy and regulation of the construction site, the
standard deviation result is 1.27, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.27. Regarding there is strong safety policy and
regulation on site the standard deviation result is 1.07, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.07.

From the above data we can analyze the following points related to safety policy and
regulation

- Authorities of health and safety enforcement conduct the necessary inspection if the
necessary safety policy and regulation is implemented in the construction of high rise
building but; there is a gap on the knowledge of construction workers on important safety
policies and regulation that are related in constructing high rise building.
- We can analyze from the above data, there is no proper health and safety related policy in
high rise building project of the study area and also the safety policy and regulations are
not updated daily based on the change of the method of the construction of high- rise
building from time to time.
- We can analyze from the above data that, the necessary safety policy and regulation that
related to the construction of high rise building in the study area are not implemented
through all life time of the high rise building projects which indicates that there is a gap
in the consistency of implementing the necessary safety policy regulation in high rise
buildings.
- Lastly, we can analyze from the above data that there is no specific department or part of
office system that manages the proper implementation of the important safety policy and
regulation on high rise building projects. From this we can understand that there is gap in
the existence of strong safety policy and regulation in high rise building projects.

35
Table 3: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents on Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues

Likert Scale
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Total
disagree agree
F % F % F % F % F % F %
Inspections are conducted by 1 1.8 10 17.5 15 26.3 8 14 22 38.6 56 100
local authorities and health and
safety enforcement organizations
Workers are well educated on 13 22.8 27 47.4 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
the important safety policy and
regulation.
There is a proper health and 7 12.3 19 33.3 13 22.8 12 21.1 5 8.8 56 100
safety policy in place at your
construction company
The safety policy and regulation 13 22.8 22 38.6 4 7 10 17.5 7 12.3 56 100
are the latest up to date
The safety policy and regulation 16 28.1 24 42.1 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
are implemented through all
phases of the project
There is a specific department 19 33.3 21 36.8 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
that manages the safety policy
and regulation of the
construction site
There is a strong safety policy 11 19.3 26 45.6 7 12.3 11 19.3 1 1.8 56 100
and regulation on our site

Source; own survey (2023)

Now, we can use a relative important index to rank the issues that are related to safety policy and
regulation to identify the most important issues related to safety policy and regulation by using
the following formula.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree

N4= number of respondents for agree

N3= number of respondents for neutral

36
N2= number of respondents for disagree

N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree

A (highest weight)

N (total number of respondents)

Table 4: Relative Important index Result of Safety Policy and Regulation Related Issues

Relative Important Index(RII) Importance rank

Inspections are conducted by local 0.74 1

authorities and health and safety
enforcement organizations
There is a proper health and safety 0.56 2
policy in place at your construction
company
The safety policy and regulation are 0.51 3
the latest up to date
There is a strong safety policy and 0.47 4
regulation on our site
There is a strong safety policy and 0.46 5
regulation on our site
The safety policy and regulation are 0.45 6
implemented through all phases of
the project
There is a strong safety policy and 0.44 7
regulation on our site

Source; own survey (2023)

From the above Relative important index data we can analyze that the inspection by local safety
authority, the existence of proper safety policy and regulation, and updating the safety policy and
regulation are the top three important related issues of safety policy and regulation with Relative
important index (RII), 0.74 ,0.56 and 0.51 respectively. So, giving special attention to these
important issues is important in the implementation safety policy and regulation in high rise
building projects.

37
4.3.2 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Training on Construction Site
Table 5: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and Health Training Related Issues

Descriptive Statistics
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Variance
Deviation
There is an appropriate program 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3393 1.21021 1.465
for workers to learn about health
and safety
I am well trained on safety and 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.6607 1.01403 1.028
health-related issues.
Safety training is implemented on 56 3.00 2.00 5.00 3.8036 1.10239 1.215
construction site
Top management gives emphasis 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.1786 1.30881 1.713
on the safety training program
There is a control program for the 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.5714 1.05928 1.122
implementation of a safety training
program

An advanced safety training 56 3.00 1.00 4.00 2.2500 1.04881 1.100

program is implemented

There is a schedule for safety and 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3571 1.34067 1.797
health training

Source; own survey (2023)

Regarding there is an appropriate program for workers to learn about health and safety the mean
score is 2.33, which indicates that the majority of the respondents disagreed on the existence of
an appropriate program to give knowledge about health and safety issues on their construction
site. Regarding how well are they trained on safety and health-related issue the mean score is
2.66, which indicates that the majority of the respondents remain neutral on the competency of
their training status. Regarding Safety and health training that was implemented on the
construction site; the mean score is 3.80, which indicated the majority of the respondents agreed
with the implementation of safety training on their construction site. Regarding Top management
giving emphasis on the safety training program, the mean score is 2.17, which indicated the
majority of the respondents disagreed with top management giving the necessary attention to

38
their safety and health-related issue on the construction site. Regarding there is a control program
for the implementation of a safety training program the mean score is 2.57, which indicates that
the majority of the respondents remain neutral on the existence of a control mechanism for the
implementation of a safety training program. Regarding an advanced safety training program
implemented the mean score is 2.25, which indicates that the majority of the respondents remain
disagreed on the existence of the latest safety and health training program on their construction
site. Regarding there is a schedule for safety and health training the mean score is 2.35, which
indicates that the majority of the respondents disagreed with the existence of a scheduled training
program on their construction site.

Analysis of the Standard Deviation Result

Regarding there is an appropriate program for workers to learn about health and safety, the
standard deviation result is 1.21, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.21. Regarding how well are they trained on
safety and health-related issue, the standard deviation result is 1.01, which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.01.
Regarding Safety and health training that was implemented on the construction site the standard
deviation result is 1.10, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.10. Regarding Top management giving emphasis on the
safety training program, the standard deviation result is 1.30, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.30. Regarding there is
a control program for the implementation of a safety training program; the standard deviation
result is 1.05, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from
the total average mean by 1.05. Regarding an advanced safety training program is implemented;
the standard deviation result is 1.04, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this
specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.04. Regarding there is a schedule for
safety and health training, the standard deviation result is 1.34, which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.34.

39
From the above data, we can analyze the following points related to safety and health
training on construction site

 There is no fixed plan and system for construction workers to learn the important safety
and health training in high rise building projects. From this we can analyze that, there is a
gap in having well trained construction workers on the important safety and health related
issue.
 From the above data we can analyze that, top officials in construction projects doesn’t
give special attention on the implementation of safety training for construction workers in
high rise buildings of the study area. Also there is gap on controlling system of, if safety
training is implemented on construction site.
 From the above data we can also analyze, an advanced safety and health training program
is not implemented on high rise building projects of the study area. Lastly, the above data
tells us that there is no fixed schedule on safety and training to construction workers on
high rise building projects.

Table 6: Frequencies and Percentage of Respondents on Safety and Health Training Related Issues

Likert Scale
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Total
disagree agree
F % F % F % F % F % F %
There is an appropriate program for 13 22.8 27 47.4 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
workers to learn about health and
Safety
I am well trained on safety and health- 4 7 27 47.4 11 19.3 12 21.1 2 3.5 56 100
related issues.
Safety training is implemented on 0 0 7 12.3 19 33.3 8 14 22 38.6 56 100
construction site
Top management gives emphasis on the 22 38.6 18 31.6 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
safety training program
There is a control program for the 10 17.5 16 28.1 20 35.1 8 14 2 3.5 56 100
implementation of a safetytraining
Program
An advanced safety training program is 16 28.1 19 33.3 12 21.1 9 15.8 0 0 56 100
implemented

40
 There is a schedule for safety and health 18 31.6 19 33.3 6 10.5 7 12.3 6 10.5 56 100

Training

Source; own survey (2023)

Now, we can use a relative important index to rank the issues that are related to safety and health
training to identify the most important issues related to safety and health training.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree

N4= number of respondents for agree

N3= number of respondents for neutral

N2= number of respondents for disagree

N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree

A (highest weight)

N (total number of respondents)

Table 7: Relative Important Index Results of Safety and Health Training Related Issues

Relative important index Importance rank

Safety training is implemented on 0.76 1
construction site
An advanced safety training program is 0.56 2
implemented

I am well trained on safety and health- 0.53 3

related issues

There is a control program for the 0.51 4

implementation of a safety training program

There is a schedule for safety and health 0.47 5

training

There is appropriate program for workers to 0.46 6

learn about health and safety

41
 Top management gives emphasis on the 0.43 7
safety training program

Source; own survey (2023)

From the above Relative important index data we can analyze that , the implementation of safety
training, the existence of advanced safety training, and the training of construction workers on
safety and health related issue are the top three important related issues of safety policy and
regulation with Relative important index (RII), 0.76, 0.56 and 0.53 respectively. So, giving
special attention to these important issues is important in the implementation safety and health
training in high rise building project.

4.3.3 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Precautions on Construction Site

Table 8: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and health Precautions Related Issues

Descriptive Statistics
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Variance
Deviation
Safety precautions are 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.5536 1.27806 1.633
implemented on the
construction site
I wear personal protective 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.8750 1.12916 1.275
equipment during work on the
construction site.

All necessary safety materials 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.2679 1.25757 1.581
exist on my construction site.

Our construction site includes 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.7857 1.41054 1.990
all important safety precaution
signs.

Top management gives 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.1964 1.28516 1.652

emphasis on important safety
precautions on construction
sites.

There is a controlling 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.2321 1.27908 1.636

mechanism for the
implementation n of all
necessary precautions on the
construction site.

All levels of workers in my 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3750 1.07132 1.148

construction site implement
safety and health precautions.

Source; own survey (2023)

42
Regarding Safety and Health precautions implemented on the construction site, the mean score is
2.55, which indicated that the majority of the respondents remain neutral on the implementation
of safety and health precaution on their construction site. Regarding if they wear personal
protective equipment during work on the construction site the mean score is 3.87, which
indicated that the majority of the respondents agreed that they wear personal protective
equipment during work on their construction site. Regarding All necessary safety materials that
exist on their construction site, the mean score is 2.26, which indicated that the majority of the
respondents disagreed on the existence of all important safety materials on their construction site.
Regarding construction sites including all important safety precaution signs, the mean score is
2.78, which indicated that the majority of the respondents remain neutral that their construction
site gives a warning by using all important safety precaution signs. Regarding Top management
giving emphasis on important safety precautions on construction sites, the mean score is 2.19,
which indicated that the majority of the respondents disagreed that the top management gives all
necessary attention to important safety and health precaution on their construction site.
Regarding there is a controlling mechanism for the implementation of all necessary precautions
on the construction site the mean score is 2.23, which indicated that the majority of the
respondents disagreed with the existence of a controlling mechanism for the implementation of
all necessary precautions on their construction site. Regarding all levels of workers in
construction site implement safety and health precautions, the mean score is 2.37, which
indicated that the majority of the respondents disagreed in if all levels of workers implement
safety and health precautions on their construction site.

Analysis of the Standard Deviation Result

Regarding Safety and health precautions implemented on the construction site, the standard
deviation result is 1.27, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.27. Regarding if they wear personal protective equipment
during work on the construction site; the standard deviation result is 1.12, which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.12.
Regarding All necessary safety materials that exist on their construction site, the standard
deviation result is 1.25, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.25. Regarding construction sites including all important

43
safety precaution signs, the standard deviation result is 1.41, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.41. Regarding Top
management giving emphasis on important safety precautions on construction sites, the standard
deviation result is 1.28, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.28. Regarding there is a controlling mechanism for the
implementation of all necessary precautions on the construction site, the standard deviation result
is 1.27, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the
total average mean by 1.27. Regarding all levels of workers in construction site implement safety
and health precautions, the standard deviation result is 1.07, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.07.

From the above data we can analyze the following points related to safety and health
precautions on high rise building projects

 There is a gap on implementing the important safety and health precautions on high rise
building projects and the existence of all necessary safety and health materials in
construction site
 From the above data we can also analyze that, top management doesn’t give the
necessary attention to the safety and health precaution that must be available in high rise
building projects.
 We can also analyze from the above data that, the controlling mechanism for the
implementation of safety and health precaution is very poor. Lastly, the data tells us that
all level of workers in high rise building projects doesn’t implement the needed safety
and health precaution on construction site.

Table 9: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents of Safety and Health Precautions Related Issues

Likert Scale
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Total
disagree agree
F % F % F % F % F % F %
Safety precautions are 10 17.5 27 47.4 3 5.3 10 17.5 6 10.5 56 100
implemented on the
construction site.
I wear personal 1 1.8 7 12.3 12 21.1 14 24.6 22 38.6 56 100
protective equipment during
work on the construction site.

44
 All necessary safety materials 17 29.8 23 40.4 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
exist on my construction site.
Our construction site includes 10 17.5 20 35.1 10 17.5 4 7 12 21.1 56 100
all important safety precaution
signs.
Top management gives 20 35.1 21 36.8 4 7 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100
emphasis on important safety
precautions on construction
sites.

There is a controlling 19 33.3 21 36.8 5 8.8 6 10.5 5 8.8 56 100

mechanism for the
implementation of all necessary
precautions on the construction
site.

All levels of workers in my 11 19.3 26 45.6 7 12.3 11 19.3 1 1.8 56 100

construction site implement
safety and health precautions.

Source; own survey (2023)

Now, we can use a relative important index to rank the issues that are related to safety and health
precaution to identify the most important issues related to safety and health precaution.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree

N4= number of respondents for agree

N3= number of respondents for neutral

N2= number of respondents for disagree

N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree

A (highest weight)

N (total number of respondents)

Table 10: Relative Important Index Result of Safety and Health Precautions Related Issues

45
 Relative important index Importance rank
I wear personal protective equipment 0.77 1
during work on the construction site.
Our construction site includes all important 0.55 2
safety precaution signs
Safety precautions are implemented on the 0.51 3
construction site.
All levels of workers in my construction 0.47 4
site implement safety and health
precautions.
All necessary safety materials exist on my 0.45 5
construction site.
There is a controlling mechanism for the 0.44 6
implementation of all necessary
precautions on the construction site.
Top management gives emphasis on 0.43 7
important safety precautions on
construction sites.

Source; own survey (2023)

From the above Relative important index data we can analyze that, wearing personal protective
equipment, the availability important safety precaution signs, and the implementation of safety
precaution related issue are the top three important related issues of safety and health precaution
with Relative important index (RII), 0.77, 0.55 and 0.51 respectively. So, giving special attention
to these important issues is important in the implementation of safety precaution in high rise
building projects.

4.3.4 Descriptive Analysis of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occur Often on
the Construction Site
Table 11: Mean and Standard Deviation Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occurs Often on
the Construction Site

Descriptive Statistics

46
 N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Variance
Deviation
56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.5536 1.24929 1.561
Crane or hoist accidents
Falls from heights. 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.6786 1.28073 1.640
Falling and slipping 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.5179 1.38815 1.927
Gas leaks, flames, and 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.6250 1.05421 1.111
explosions
Electricity 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3571 1.03447 1.070
(Electric power Accidents)
56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.5714 1.26286 1.595
Accidents involving
forklifts
56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.0893 1.50486 2.265
Accidents involving
machinery.

56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.7500 1.28275 1.645

Repetitive motion
accidents

Source; own survey (2023)

Regarding Crane or hoist accidents the mean score is 3.55; this indicates the majority of the
respondents agreed that crane or hoist types of accidents occur often on their construction sites.
Regarding falls from heights accidents, the mean score is 3.67; this indicates the majority of the
respondents agreed that fall types accidents occur often on their construction sites. Regarding
Falling and slipping accidents, the mean score is 3.51; this indicates the majority of the
respondents agreed that Falling and slipping types accidents occur often on their construction
sites. Regarding Gas leaks, flames, and explosions accidents, the mean score is 2.62, this
indicates the majority of the respondents remain neutral that Gas leaks, flames, and explosions
types of accidents occur often on their construction sites. Regarding Electric power accidents, the
mean score is 2.35; this indicates the majority of the respondents dis agreed that Electric power
type’s accidents occur often on their construction sites. Regarding Accidents involving forklifts
the mean score is 2.57; this indicates the majority of the respondents remain neutral that
Accidents involving forklifts types of accidents occur often on their construction sites. Regarding
Accidents involving machinery the mean score is 3.08; this indicates the majority of the
respondents remain neutral that Accidents involving machinery types of accidents occur often on
their construction sites. Regarding Repetitive motion accidents; the mean score is 3.75, which

47
indicates the majority of the respondents agreed that Repetitive motion types of accidents occur
often on their construction sites.

Analysis of the Standard Deviation Result

Regarding in identifying if crane or hoist accident occur often, the standard deviation result is
1.24, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total
average mean by 1.24. Regarding in identifying if Falls from heights accident occur often, the
standard deviation result is 1.28, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.28. Regarding in identifying Falling and slipping
accident occur often, the standard deviation result is 1.38, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.38. Regarding in
identifying Gas leaks, flames, and explosions accident occur often, the standard deviation result
is 1.05, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the
total average mean by 1.05. Regarding in identifying Electric power accident occur often, the
standard deviation result is 1.03, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.03. Regarding in identifying Accidents
involving forklifts occur often, the standard deviation result is 1.26, which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.26.
Regarding in identifying Accidents involving machinery occur often, the standard deviation
result is 1.50, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is far from
the total average mean by 1.50.Regarding in identifying Repetitive motion accidents occur often,
the standard deviation result is 1.28, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this
specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.28.

Table 12: Frequencies and Percentage of Respondents of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That
Occur Often in High Rise Buildings Related Issues

Likert Scale
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Total
disagree agree
F % F % F % F % F % F %
4 7 9 15.8 10 17.5 18 31.6 15 26.3 56 100
Crane or hoist accidents
6 10.5 5 8.8 6 10.5 23 40.4 16 28.1 56 100
Falls from heights.

48
 5 8.8 13 22.8 4 7 16 28.1 18 31.6 56 100
Falling and slipping

6 10.5 25 43.9 11 19.3 12 21.1 2 3.5 56 100

Gas leaks, flames, and
explosions

9 15.8 30 52.6 7 12.3 8 14 2 3.5 56 100

Electricity

(Electric power Accidents)

11 19.3 22 38.6 9 15.8 8 14 6 10.5 56 100

Accidents involving forklifts

11 19.3 12 21.1 9 15.8 9 15.8 15 26.3 56 100

Accidents involving
machinery.

3 5.3 7 12.3 15 26.3 7 12.3 24 42.1 56 100

Repetitive motion accidents

Source; own survey (2023)

Now, we can use a relative important index to rank the hazard that occurs often.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree

N4= number of respondents for agree

N3= number of respondents for neutral

N2= number of respondents for disagree

N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree

A (highest weight)

N (total number of respondents)

Table 13: Relative important Index Result of Identification of Safety and Health Hazard That Occur Often
in High Rise Buildings Related Issues

Hazards Relative important index Rank

Repetitive motion accidents 0.75 1

49
 Falls from heights 0.73 2
Crane or hoist accidents 0.71 3
Falling and slipping 0.70 4

Accident involving machinery 0.61 5

Gas leaks, flames, and explosions 0.52 6
Electricity 0.47 7
(Electric power Accidents)
Accidents involving forklifts 0.51 8
Source; own survey (2023)

From the above Relative important index table, we can analyze that Repetitive motion accidents,
Falls from heights, Crane or hoist accidents and Falling and slipping are the top 4 repetitive
hazards that occur in high rise building having relative importance index of 0.75, 0.73, 0.71 and
0.70.so, this identified hazards needs special attention to stop them from occurring in high rise
building projects.

4.3.5 Descriptive Analysis of Safety and Health Management Practices on the Construction
Site
Table 14: Mean and Standard Deviation of Safety and Health Management Practices on the Construction
Site Related Issues

Descriptive Statistics
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Variance
Deviation
We have a site- specific health and 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.5357 1.26440 1.599
safety strategy for our
construction site
There is a Safety Officer on your 56 3.00 2.00 5.00 3.3214 1.14586 1.313
building projects/sites.
To guarantee worker well-being, 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.9107 1.11644 1.246
your company's health and safety
policies are coordinated with other
human resource policies.
Your company creates written 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 3.5179 1.38815 1.927
circular/brochure informing
employees of the risks involved
with their jobs.
Before starting work in a specific 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.6250 1.05421 1.111

50
 location, workers get a health and
safety induction
Managers promote and support 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.2679 1.10357 1.218
staff training on health and safety.
Managers keep a close eye on their 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.5714 1.26286 1.595
projects' health and safety
performance.
Managers ensure that the budget 56 4.00 1.00 5.00 2.3929 1.48543 2.206
for health and safety is sufficient.

Source; own survey (2023)

Regarding having a site-specific health and safety strategy for construction site, the mean score
is 3.53; this indicates the majority of the respondents agreed that they have specific health and
safety strategy in their construction sites. Regarding there is a Safety Officer in building
projects/sites, the mean score is 3.32; this indicates the majority of the respondents remain
neutral that they have safety officer in their construction sites. Regarding company's health and
safety policies are coordinated with other human resource policies, the mean score is 2.91, and
this indicates the majority of the respondents remain neutral that company's health and safety
policies are coordinated with other human resource. Regarding company creates a written
circular/brochure informing employees of the risks involved with their jobs, the mean score is
3.51, and this indicates the majority of the respondents agreed that, their Company creates a
written circular/brochure to inform employees of the risks involved with their jobs. Regarding
workers getting a health and safety induction. , the mean score is 2.6; this indicates the majority
of the respondents disagreed that workers having health and safety induction. Regarding
Managers promote and support staff training on health and safety, the mean score is 2.26, this
indicates the majority of the respondents disagreed that managers supporting training on health
and safety. Regarding Managers keep a close eye on their projects' health and safety performance
,the mean score is 2.57, this indicates the majority of the respondents remain neutral that
managers giving attention on their project health and safety performance. Regarding Managers
ensure that the budget for health and safety is sufficient, the mean score is 2.39, this indicates the
majority of the respondents disagreed that managers ensuring allocating enough budget for
health safety in their construction site.

51
Analysis of the Standard Deviation Result

Regarding having a site-specific health and safety strategy for construction site, the standard
deviation result is 1.26, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.26. Regarding having a Safety Officer on the high-rise
building projects/sites, the standard deviation result is 1.14, which tells us that the respondent’s
response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.14. Regarding
company's health and safety policies are coordinated with other human resource policies; the
standard deviation result is 1.11, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.21. Regarding company creates a written
circular/brochure informing employees of the risks involved with their jobs, the standard
deviation result is 1.38, which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific question is
far from the total average mean by 1.38. Regarding workers getting a health and safety induction,
the standard deviation result is 1.05 which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.05. . Regarding Managers promote and support
staff training on health and safety, the standard deviation result is 1.10 which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.10.
Regarding Managers keep a close eye on their projects' health and safety performance, the
standard deviation result is 1.26 which tells us that the respondent’s response for this specific
question is far from the total average mean by 1.26. Regarding Managers ensure that the budget
for health and safety is sufficient; the standard deviation result is 1.48 which tells us that the
respondent’s response for this specific question is far from the total average mean by 1.48.

From the above data we can analyze the following points on safety and health management
practices high rise building projects

 There is a gap in coordinating safety and health polices with other human resources
polices in high rise building projects of the researchers study area. Attention is not given
to the safety and health polices as other human resource polices.
 The involvement of top managers in promoting the necessary safety and health
management practices to the construction workers in high rise building projects in the
researchers study area is very poor.

52
  The controlling mechanism or system of the practice of safety and health management in
high-rise buildings of the study area has gap.
 The necessary budget for safety and health management in high rise building projects in
the study area is very low and it is not coordinated with other budget of the projects.
 Lastly, the general safety health management practice in high-rise building had not got
the necessary attention from the concerned body.

Table 15: Frequency and Percentage of Respondents of Safety and Health Management Practices on the
Construction Site Related Issues

Likert Scale
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Total
disagree agree
F % F % F % F % F % F %
We have a site-specific health 1 1.8 15 26.3 12 21.1 9 15.8 19 33.3 56 100
and safety strategy for our
construction site
There is a Safety Officer on your 0 0 19 33.3 11 19.3 15 26.3 11 19.3 56 100
building projects/sites.
To guarantee worker well- being, your 4 7 18 31.5 20 35.1 7 12.3 7 12.3 56 100
company's health and safety policies
are coordinated with other human
resource policies.
Your company creates a written 5 8.8 13 22.8 4 7 16 28.1 18 31.6 56 100
circular/brochure informing employees
of the risks involved with their jobs.
Before starting work in a specific 8 10.5 25 43.9 11 19.3 12 21.1 2 3.5 56 100
location, workers get a health and
safety induction.
Managers promote and support staff 14 24.6 25 43.9 7 12.3 8 14 2 3.5 56 100
training on health and safety.
Managers keep a close eye on their 11 19.3 22 38.6 9 15.8 8 14 6 10.5 56 100
projects' health and safety
performance.
Managers ensure that the budget 24 42.1 9 15.8 7 12.3 9 15.8 7 12.3 56 100
for health and safety is sufficient.

Source; own survey (2023)

53
Now, we can use a relative important index to rank the issues that are related to safety and health
management practices to identify the most important issues related to safety and health
management practices.

Relative important index (RII) = 5 N5 + 4 N4 + 3N3 + 2N2 + 1 N1

A*N
N5= number of respondents for strongly agree

N4= number of respondents for agree

N3= number of respondents for neutral

N2= number of respondents for disagree

N1= number of respondents for strongly disagree

A (highest weight)

N (total number of respondents)

Table 16: Relative Important Index Result of Safety and Health Management Practices on the
Construction Site Related Issues

Relative important index Importance rank

Your company creates a written 0.73 1
circular/brochure informing employees of the
risks involved with their jobs
We have a site-specific health and safety 0.70 2
strategy for our construction site
There is a Safety Officer on your building 0.66 3
projects/sites
To guarantee worker well- being, your company's 0.58 4
health and safety policies are coordinated with
other human resource policies

Before starting work in a specific location, 0.53 5

workers get a health and safety induction.

Managers keep a close eye on their projects' 0.51 6

health and safety performance

Managers ensure that the budget for health and 0.47 7

54
safety is sufficient.

Managers promote and support staff training on 0.45 8

health and safety

Source; own survey (2022)

From Relative important index data we can analyze that, creating a written circular/brochure to
inform employees of the risks involved with their jobs, having a site-specific health and safety
strategy for construction site, having safety officer in building projects related issue are the top
three important related issues with safety and health management practices with Relative
important index (RII), 0.73, 0.70 and 0.66 respectively. So, giving special attention to these
important issues is important in the implementation of good safety and health management
practices.

55
CHAPTER FIVE
MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter summarizes the findings, delivers the study's conclusions and suggestions based on
the goals, and concludes with a suggestion for further research.

5.2 SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS

This study examined the health and safety practices in the high-rise building construction sector
in Addis Ababa. It found that many companies lacked a proper health and safety management
system, health and safety policies, health and safety personnel, health and safety awareness
mechanism, welfare facilities, PPEs, and evaluation techniques. These factors increased the risk
of accidents and injuries for the workers and the public. The construction of high-rise buildings
is a complex process that requires careful planning and management. A high standard of safety
management is essential for the successful completion of any construction project.

According to the study, construction workers on high rise building projects in the study area lack
adequate safety and health training on how to handle the risks and hazards involved. The study
also found that top officials in construction projects do not prioritize the implementation of
safety training for construction workers on high rise buildings in the study area. Furthermore,
there is no effective system to monitor and evaluate the impact of safety training on construction
site performance. The safety training program does not have a regular schedule and is not aligned
with other high- rise building project activities.

The study also revealed that, the construction workers and the top management of high-rise
building projects in the study area are not well informed about the safety policy and regulation.
The safety policy and regulation are not updated regularly to reflect the changes in the
construction methods and technology of high-rise buildings. This poses a serious risk to the
workers and the public, as new construction methods and technology may introduce new hazards
that require specific policy and regulation to address them.

The data from the study showed that high-rise building projects in the study area lacked proper
safety and health precautions. The necessary safety equipment and materials were not available

56
or used by the workers. The top management did not pay enough attention to the safety and
health issues that were prevalent in high-rise building projects. The monitoring and enforcement
of safety and health measures were very weak. As a result, most workers in high-rise building
projects did not follow the required safety and health precautions on the construction site. This
was especially true for low-level workers such as daily laborers who did not wear the appropriate
safety gear on the site. The reports indicated that most construction-related accidents and deaths
occurred among low-level workers.

The study findings also show that, the necessary budget for safety and health management in
high rise building projects in the study area doesn’t have specific plan and it is not coordinated
with other budget of the projects. Main emphasis is given finishing the project on time and
budget rather than coordinating this project goal to the safety and health of the construction
workers. The controlling mechanism or system of the practice of safety and health management
in high-rise buildings of the study area has gap.

The study also find that, the most common type of hazard that occurs in high-rise building
projects in the study area is repetitive motion accidents, followed by falls from heights, crane or
hoist accidents, and falling and slipping. These four hazards account for the majority of accidents
and deaths in high-rise building projects of the study area. Therefore, construction workers and
management team of high-rise building projects should pay extra attention and take preventive
safety measures to avoid these hazards and their consequences.

5.3 CONCLUSION
According to the findings of the study, the current state of health and safety procedures in high-
rise building constructions in Addis Ababa is far from satisfactory. The health and safety
management systems are only formalities that are not implemented in practice. The construction
workers are exposed to various hazards and risks that could endanger their lives and health. The
occupational health and safety regulations and standards that exist in the country are outdated
and ineffective. The government does not enforce the rules and the regulatory agencies lack the
resources and capacity to monitor and inspect the construction sites. The management of health
and safety on construction sites for high-rise buildings is also poor. The managers do not show
enough commitment and support for health and safety issues. They do not provide adequate
training, budget, or incentives for the workers to follow the health and safety procedures. They

57
also do not involve the workers in the decision-making process or evaluate their health and
safety performance regularly. The human life is more valuable than any high-rise building.
Therefore, all the stakeholders of the construction industry should pay more attention to the
health and safety aspects of high-rise building projects. They should adopt the best practices and
techniques that have been proven to reduce accidents and fatalities in other countries. They
should also update and revise the health and safety regulations and standards to reflect the
current challenges and needs of the industry. They should also strengthen the enforcement and
supervision mechanisms to ensure compliance with the rules. Finally, they should foster a culture
of health and safety among the managers, workers, and clients of high-rise building projects.

The safety and health management of high-rise building projects is a crucial issue that requires
the attention and commitment of all stakeholders involved. High-rise construction involves high-
altitude operations and deep foundation pits that pose significant risks of accidents and fatalities.
Therefore, government bodies must develop a strong safety and health management law and
regulation by establishing a strong control mechanism to punish people who do not respect the
necessary safety and health management practices. Top management must also acquire the
necessary knowledge on safety health management practices in order to create an organizational
culture that fosters the necessary safety practices in high-rise building projects to avoid accidents
and deaths in the projects. Some of the critical success factors for safety management of high-
rise building projects are: management measures, management organization, technical and
management plan, worker safety behavior, safety environment, and worker safety quality. By
implementing these factors, the safety performance of high-rise building projects can be
effectively enhanced.

The construction sector faces many occupational safety and health challenges that can affect not
only the workers, but also other stakeholders involved in or impacted by the construction
process. According to the ILO, construction health and safety illiteracy can have negative
consequences for the workers' families, the clients, the contractors, the construction firms, the
industry, the city and the country. Therefore, it is essential to create a culture of prevention and
protection that involves everyone in the sector. This requires a legal, administrative, technical
and educational framework that ensures appropriate design and implementation of safety and
health measures throughout the project life cycle.

58
5.4 RECOMMENDATION
Suggestions for construction health and safety practices have been made in light of the findings
of this study.

To the Construction Company

 In order to reduce workplace dangers, construction companies should have established in-
house health and safety policies and regulations that align with the country's labor law.
 When hiring external contractors, companies must incorporate contractual standards for
health and safety management systems in the contract agreement.
 For proper implementation of health and safety practices, there should be a structured
Health and Safety management structure.
 A designated health and safety officer should be in charge of implementing and
monitoring HS procedures because other managers may be too preoccupied with
construction operations.
 Regular health and safety training is required to keep personnel aware of the importance
of working in a safe and healthy manner and to remind them of the repercussions of
failing to do so.
 Good health and safety facilities should be provided to employees in order to establish a
positive working environment and promote employee morale, which will increase the
company's production.
 Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be supplied to all workers to assist protect
them from injury.

To Construction Workers

Project managers, as project leaders, must ensure that HS practices are implemented in projects
under their supervision.

 Workers should be primarily accountable for their own well-being.

 At work, employees must follow the health and safety regulations and protect one
another.
 Workers must report when they spot dangerous safety condition of construction site

59
To the government

 In the construction industry, regulatory agencies should enforce OHS policies.

 Project locations should be inspected on a regular and unexpected basis.
 To discipline construction organizations, a reward and punishment system must be
implemented.

5.5 SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

 In the case of Addis Ababa or throughout the country, research may be undertaken to
analyze the present system of Health and Safety performance on construction projects,
taking into account all participants, builders, users, experts, government, and insurance
companies.
 Engineering safety and health performance may be compared to other industries in
Ethiopia, such as agriculture and manufacturing.
 Research may be undertaken in other construction sectors, such as tunnels, aviation
fields, locomotives, destruction, and maintenance, to better understand the role of owners
and consultants in preventing or mitigating construction project accidents.
 It is possible to conduct research to determine the level of harm (accidents and injuries)
caused by the construction industry's lack of health and safety management.

60
References
Adane MM, Gelaye KA, Beyera GK, Sharma HR, Yalew WW (2013). Occupational injuries
among building construction workers in Gondar City, Ethiopia

Al Haadir S. and K Panuwatwanich, (2011) Critical success factors for safety program
implementation among construction companies in Saudi Arabia. Procedia Engineering. 14:
p.148-155

Allan St John Holt and Jim Allen, (2015) Principles of Health and Safety at Work

Creswell, J. W. (2003) Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods

Approach, SAGE Publications

Datta, M. (2000, November). Challenges facing the construction industry in developing

countries. In 2nd International Conference on Construction in Developing Countries: Challenges
Facing the Construction Industry in Developing Countries, Gaborone, Botswana.

Enshassi, A. Factors Affecting Safety on Construction Projects. IUG, Gaza Strip.

Ethiopia Labour Inspection Audit, 2018 – ILO

Hanna Mersha, Seid Tiku Mereta and Lamessa Dube (2016), Prevalence of occupational injuries
and associated factors among construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hinze JW (1997). Construction Safety, New Jersy, Prentice-Hall

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Hughes, R. G. (2008). Nurses at the “sharp end” of patient care. Patient safety and quality: An
evidence-based handbook for nurses.

International Labour Office (ILO) (2018). Global estimates of fatal work related diseases and

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Kheni A. (2008). Impact of Health and Safety Management on Safety Performance of Small and
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Occupational Health and Safety Management System, (2016) Draft Standard, International
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Singh, A., Hinze, J., & Coble, R. J. (Eds.). (1999). Implementation of Safety and health on
Construction Sites. CRC Press.

Tadesse and Israel Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology (2016), Occupational
Injuries among Building construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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62
 ST MARY UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

I am a graduate student at St Mary’s University undertaking a degree of Master Project

Management. I am conducting a research on the assessment of the Use of Safety Materials in
Building Construction. This questionnaire is designed to collect data on the mentioned topic for
academic purpose. Therefore, I kindly ask you to give me a few minutes of your time to answer
the questions. The information you will provide will be treated with utmost confidentiality and
will only be used for academic purposes. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

General Instructions

 You do not need to write your name

 Use tick mark (√) to answer the questions on the space provided

Part One: Information about the respondent, company direction. Please indicate your response by
checking [√], filling in the box, or leaving a remark, as applicable.
Part 1 Personal Information of Respondents
Gender Male Female

Age 20-30 31-40 >41

Job position Foreman Site Engineer Structural Engineer

Project Manager Daily labor worker Residential Engineer

Consultant

Education background Diploma Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree

Below Diploma Other

Work Experience 0- 5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years

16-20 years >21

Employment status Permanent Temporary/ Contract

63
 Part Two: Information about the Research issue Please indicate your response by checking [√],
filling in the blanks under agreement level Strongly disagree (1), Disagree (2), Undecided (3),
Agree (4) and Strongly agree (5).

Items Strongly Disagree Undecided Agreed Strongly

disagree (2) (3) (4) agree (5)
(1)
Inspections are conducted by local authorities and health and
safety enforcement organizations
Workers are well educated on how to properly care for and
maintain personal protective equipment
There is a proper health and safety policy in place at your
construction company
The safety policy and regulation are the latest up to date
The safety policy and regulation are implemented through all
phases of the project
There is a specific department that manages the safety policy
and regulation of the construction site
There is a strong safety policy and regulation on site
Part 3 Safety and Health Training on the construction site related questions Choose the
number and mark what you choose in the box.

Safety and health training Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly

disagree (2) (3) (4) agree
(1) (5)
There is an appropriate program for
workers to learn about health and safety
I am well trained on safety and health-related issues.
Safety training is implemented on construction site
Top management gives emphasis on the safety training
program
There is a control program for the implementation of a safety
training program
An advanced safety training program is implemented
There is a schedule for safety and health training

Part 4 Safety and Health precautions on the construction site related questions Choose the
number and mark what you choose in the box.
Items Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly
disagree (2) (3) (4) agree
(1) (5)
Safety precautions are implemented on the construction
site.
I wear personal protective equipment during work on the
construction site.

64
All necessary safety materials exist on my construction
site.
Our construction site includes all important safety
precaution signs.
Top management gives emphasis on important safety
precautions on construction sites.
There is a controlling mechanism for the implementation
of all necessary precautions on the construction site.
All levels of workers in my construction site implement
safety and health precautions.
Part 5 Identification of safety and health hazard on the construction site related questions
choose the number and mark what you choose in the box.
Description Hazards occur often
Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly
disagree(1) (2) (3) (4) agree (5)

Crane or hoist accidents

Falls from heights.
Falling and slipping
Gas leaks, flames, and explosions
Electricity

(Electricpower Accidents)

Accidents involving forklifts

Accidents involving machinery.

Repetitive motion accidents

Part 6 Safety and Health Management practices on the construction site related questions
choose the number and mark what you choose in the box
Items Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly
disagree (2) (3) (4) agree (5)
(1)
We have a site-specific health and safety strategy for our
construction site
There is a Safety Officer on your building projects/sites.
To guarantee worker well-being, your company's health and
safety policies are coordinated with other human resource
policies.
Your company creates a written circular/brochure informing
employees of the risks involved with their jobs.
Before starting work in a specific location, workers get a
health and safety induction.
Managers promote and support staff training health and safety.
Managers keep a close eye on their projects’ health and safety
performance.
Managers ensure that the budget for health and safety is

65
sufficient.

66