Effective Safety And Health Planning On Construction Sites
[ONITSHA AND AWKA OF ANAMBRA STATE]

5.1.2    SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The major findings of the study are as follows:
1    Types of building construction accidents
    Scaffolding accidents
    Trench collapse/supervisors negligence.
    Construction site falls
    Crane accidents
    Electrical accidents
2    Types of health / safety problems
    Falls/ being struck by falling objects
    Unsafe working environment /dust
    Use of faulty equipment /scaffolding
    Fatal crush/back injuries
    Exposure to hazardous substances
    Vibration syndromes/Deafness
3    Factors that cause construction health and safety problems.
    Absence of monitoring/enforcement mechanism of health and safety plan
    Non compliance with health and safety provisions.
    Absence/neglect of project health and safety plan (Carelessness)
    Untidiness of work environment
    Wrong method of work
4    How health and safety problems can be mitigated.
    By the provision/use of project health and safety plan
    By training /retraining of workers on health and safety matters.
    By the observance of health and safety provisions.
    By public enlightenment through health and safety seminars/workshops.
    By the use of protective clothing and wears.
    By the use of correct method of work.
5    How government/professional bodies can play significant roles on health and safety matters on sites.
    By coherent legislative and policy framework on occupational health and safety in the construction sector
    By monitoring and enforcement of health and safety provisions at federal,    State and local government levels.
    By instituting and observing stiff penalties for health and safety offenders, be they construction workers, contractors or professionals.
    By ensuring compliance with labour standards.
5.1.3    CONCLUSIONS
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are made.
1    The nature of construction accidents is so diverse and wide spread; that if not well confronted, can lead to serious and extensive consequences.
2    For effective construction accident prevention and control, monitoring and enforcement instruments are necessary.
3    The cost and devastating effects of accidents compel all stake holders’ commitment for its control and eradication.
4    It is a tragic irony to observe that the three most serious accident types –
(1)    Scaffolding accidents
(2)    Trench collapse/supervisors negligence
(3)    Construction site falls – seem to be the ones always, and mostly taken for granted in the course of construction work; judging by workers and contractors attitudes. For any accident prevention and control effort to bear fruits, there must be attitudinal change, encouraged by an established reward and penalty mechanism.