Under-Reporting of Occupational Accidents in the Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract

Under-reporting of an occupational accident is commonly found at both organisational and individual levels. It interferes with the reality of health and safety in organisations and countries. It also hinders the ability to identify trends, recognise priorities, improve strategies, and allocation of resources for accident prevention. This study examined the reasons for the under-reporting of occupational accidents at the organisation level in the Nigerian construction industry. A review of the literature was conducted on the under-reporting of occupational accidents. Thereafter, a field survey with questionnaires was distributed to solicit information from the Nigerian construction professionals in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. 300 questionnaires were distributed, and 235 responses were received and analysed with Microsoft Excel and SPSS software by applied relative importance index and ranked. The study found that among the top-ranked reasons for under-reporting of occupational accidents by the organisation is to maintain a reputation. It is therefore important to increase awareness on the reporting of occupational accidents and its importance in accident prevention programmes by the regulatory bodies. Also, more collaborative efforts, standards, and policies should be put in place by the governments for ensuring reporting and record-keeping of accidents in the Nigerian construction industry. Records of dangerous incidents are the key indicator for the organisation for the improvement in the prevention of hazards. The study, therefore, concludes that there should be proper recording and surveillance of occupational accidents, hazards, and their related background causes in reaction to quick and complex variations in work-life.

Citation

Kamoli, A., Hamid, R.A. and Mahmud, S.H.B. (2022), "Under-Reporting of Occupational Accidents in the Nigerian Construction Industry", Din, M.F.M., Alias, N.E., Hussein, N. and Zaidi, N.S. (Ed.) Sustainability Management Strategies and Impact in Developing Countries (Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management, Vol. 26), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 253-264. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-726220220000026020