An Investigation into the Causes of Accidents in the ...

1 An Investigation into the Causes of Accidents in the construction industry in uganda H LUBEGA Department of Housing, Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications Box 7122, Kampala, uganda or B M KIGGUNDU2 and D TINDIWENSI Department of Civil Engineering, Makerere University Box 7062, Kampala, uganda Abstract The construction industry in uganda and other developing countries faces a wide range of challenges, one of which is the frequent occurrence of Accidents in the work areas. This paper presents results of a research that concentrated on investigating Causes of Accidents on construction projects in uganda . During the last few years several Accidents have occurred on various construction projects all over the country, some of which have been fatal.

2 This has made the construction industry one of the high-risk industries in uganda regarding the safety of workmen as well as property, yet there is increasing construction activity countrywide. In view of this spate of events, the need to develop strategies to abate Accidents on construction projects and hence minimise re-occurrence was warranted. This research was conducted in five selected districts in uganda , and the findings reflect views expressed by several people directly or indirectly involved in the construction process. Major Causes of Accidents identified in this research associated with construction projects include inadequate supervision, use of incompetent personnel and use of inappropriate construction techniques.

3 Among the recommendations made for minimising and/or avoiding re-occurrence of Accidents are review of the existing regulations, enforcement, sensitisation and training. Keywords: Accidents , construction industry , Enforcement, Safety, Training INTRODUCTION General review Cost, time, quality and safety are important characteristics of every project. For the construction industry in uganda , there has been greater emphasis on the first three aspects at the expense of safety. Lack of adherence to safety requirements has led to increased exposure of workmen and the general public to risk situations on construction sites resulting in a high chance of occurrence of Accidents . Accidents include not only direct physical injury to persons or damage to property, but also short and long term effects or incidents due to other exposures on sites that affect the workers health and physical well-being.

4 Background to the study Over the last ten years or so the construction industry has thrived as a result of the liberalisation of the economy which has attracted both local and foreign investors. construction of new structures (office complexes, industrial zones with factories and warehousing facilities, infrastructure etc.) and upgrading or remodelling the existing structures has become the order of the day. Therefore, the question of safety in construction can no longer be ignored and deserves due consideration. However, in the recent past, fatal Accidents have occurred due to the collapse of some structures at various sites in the country. These have been given wide publicity in the local and international media and have accordingly raised great concern and anxiety among the public.

5 The notable Accidents include the collapse of an excavation at a site on Plot 19, William Street, killing three workers while removing support bars of a reinforced concrete retaining wall. (The New Vision, Saturday, June 3, 2000); the collapse of a building at a car mart at the former Pulsations Club in Kabalagala trading centre on 11th May 1999, killing one worker. (The New Vision, Wednesday, May 12, 1999); the collapse of a foundation trench at a site along Pilkington Road, opposite National Insurance Corporation Building and uganda Electricity Board District Office, on 31st October, 1997, killing four workers and injuring several others. (The New Vision, Saturday, Nov. 1, 1997 Kampala Building Buries 6, Kills 4 ; The MONITOR, Saturday, Nov.)

6 1, 1997 Six Buried Alive ); and the collapse of a suspended maxpan floor slab of a two-storeyed building at Buziga, 8 km along Kampala - Ggaba Road on 2nd November, 1997. The building, which had reached roofing stage, injured two workers. (The New Vision, Monday, Nov. 3, 1997 Another Building Collapses in City ). This spate of events has raised a big outcry from the general public as to whether engineers and other people involved in the construction process are competent enough to undertake such projects. The public wants an assurance as to whether there are some measures being put in place to ensure safety of workmen and property. The authors' preliminary findings revealed that there is weakness in enforcement, and also ignorance of the importance of Safety and Health Regulations as stipulated in the Factories Act (1964) and the Public Health Act (1965), both of which need updating.

7 More critical though, is the fact that many of the Accidents in the construction industry arise from workers negligence, ignorance and carelessness. With the increasing construction activity prevailing countrywide, a study of the current safety practice in the construction industry was therefore warranted. This would enable the authors to establish the Causes of Accidents on construction projects from which strategies for improved safety practice would be developed. This is the purpose for which this research was conducted. Objectives of the study 1. To determine the Causes of Accidents on construction sites and identify the present and potential safety hazards in the construction industry . 2. To analyse the safety measures used on construction sites in relation to existing safety regulations, design standards and code(s) of practice, and their impact on the safety of workers.

8 3. To develop an appropriate program/guideline for safety in the construction process. Research questions The following research questions were formulated to further examine the problem statement: 1. Is inadequate/faulty design the cause of Accidents in the construction industry in uganda ? 2. To what extent does use of poor quality materials lead to the occurrence of Accidents in the construction industry ? 3. What is the effect of using inappropriate construction techniques in relation to safety on site? 4. How does inadequate supervision contribute to the occurrence of Accidents on construction sites? 5. Are there any provisions to counter any possibility of occurrence of Accidents on construction sites? 6. Do people adhere to the requirements of the Safety and Health Regulations?

9 7. How best can the occurrence of Accidents in the construction industry be reduced? 8. What is the situation like in other countries? 9. What is the relationship between safety and productivity? Scope of the study The research covered five districts with relatively high construction activity. Emphasis was, however, put on public and private building construction projects which were randomly selected to study the extent to which safety is given consideration, the Causes of Accidents and adequacy of mitigative measures to the Accidents . This was done by making observations on randomly selected projects in the five selected districts, administering questionnaires to people involved in the construction process and conducting interviews with several stakeholders in the construction industry .

10 This paper presents some recommendations that have been proposed for achieving improved safety on construction sites. Significance of the study 1 The research was expected to establish the Causes of Accidents in the construction industry in uganda and the inadequacies of the mitigative measures. 2 The findings would assist in developing an appropriate guideline for construction safety practice for people engaged in the construction industry in order to minimise Accidents . 3 The research was also expected to recommend improvements to the safety (and health) regulations currently in use. 4 It was expected to contribute to the knowledge of the future readership, and as a source of reference for further research. LITERATURE REVIEW construction in uganda Ashworth (1994) states that the construction industry includes building, civil engineering and process plant engineering, and is concerned with the planning, regulation, design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of buildings and other structures.