Safety Awareness in Informal Construction Sector: a Case Study of Nairobi City

Abstract

This study is about safety awareness in the informal construction sector. Safety awareness as used in this study refers to a state of mind where one is constantly aware of the possibility of injury and therefore act to minimize the possibility of causing injury to himself or others (M.C.A., 2003). The study investigates safety awareness in the informal construction sector with a view to recommending possible self-sustainable ways of improving safety awareness to help reduce accident prevalence in the sector. The study covers building project owners, site foremen, workers and site surveys. In particular, it examines compliance with safety requirements, and investigates behaviours, perceptions and attitudes associated with safety, and management practices and associated documentation relating to safety with a view to establishing how they on impact safety in the informal construction sector. Basing on the findings, the study concludes that the informal construction sites sampled do not generally comply with safety requirements and their owners are safety ignorant. The study also concludes that although the sampled workers' perception of risk associated with working from heights is appropriate, their behaviours and attitudes associated with safety are inappropriate. Similarly, the study concludes that safety management practices and associated documentations are not only inappropriate but also almost non-existent in the informal construction sites surveyed. The study recommends a massive 'and elaborate education campaign to create awareness of the benefits of workplace safety amongst the stakeholders, training and certification of workers/foremen, competent supervision on sites, random inspection by relevant authorities, an appropriate incident/accident reporting system and the formation of workers' associations in the informal construction sector.