Strategies for health and safety management in Ghana
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
ISSN: 1726-0531
Article publication date: 26 September 2019
Issue publication date: 9 March 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the contemporary strategies for Health and Safety (H&S) management practices at the construction sites in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a mixed method approach in conducting a cross-sectional survey at 28 active construction sites in the Kumasi and Accra metropolises of Ghana using questionnaires and interview guide by using purposive, convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected from 170 survey respondents and 18 interview participants comprising artisans and management staff.
Findings
On H&S management practices, the study found that most construction sites have policies for H&S delivery and are duly followed and enforced. Nonetheless, construction workers moderately agreed that there was reward for; the avoidance and reduction of accidents and illnesses, good H&S behaviour and provision for insurance and hospital claims. It was also revealed that most of the construction sites adopt either one or a combination of mandatory H&S standards. Generally, most workers possessed a fairly positive perception about the H&S management practices at their sites and were either satisfied or very satisfied with its performance.
Research limitations/implications
Generalizing the findings beyond the study areas is limited because of the use of the non-probability sampling techniques.
Originality/value
This study focused on the active construction sites in the study areas to investigate their H&S practices against the backdrop of numerous publications describing the general H&S situation in Ghana as poor. It revealed the current H&S performance of the construction sites for the benefit of the construction industry, researchers and the academia.
Keywords
Citation
Simpson, K.B. and Sam, A. (2020), "Strategies for health and safety management in Ghana", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 431-450. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-07-2019-0189
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited