Browsing by Author "Assegid, Gebremariam"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Occupational Safety and Health Management System Development for Construction Industry (Case of Construction Companies in Addis Ababa)
    (Addis Ababa University, 2018-10) Assegid, Gebremariam; Kassu, Jilcha (PhD)
    In the 21st century, promoting safety and health in workplaces is one of the major aspects of human being receiving a considerable attention of researchers, scholars, government and NGOs, and organizations. Accidents in workplaces of all industrial sectors cause injuries and illnesses on employees and damage of companies‟ property and asset. This in turn, insists the industries to put much effort in order to solve these problems through continual improvement of their workplaces safety and workers‟ health. The main aim of this study is to investigate the work place safety and health problems and analyzing the negative impacts of occupational accidents, diseases and related injuries on productivity of workers and profitability of company in order to develop a system occupational safety and health management for construction industries in Addis Ababa. The construction industry is considered as back bone of growth and development of a nation, but it is also one of the hazardous sectors due to various complicated construction activities and dangerous materials involved in the project. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches and obtained the relevant data through questionnaire survey, formal interview and construction site observation from large sized (grade I & II) and medium sized (grade III & IV) construction companies. According to the findings of the analysis of questionnaire revealed that occupational accidents and incidents in construction site are causing various negative impacts and consequences on contractor and workers those range from light work related injuries potential disability, temporary and permanent disability and even death. The main accidents identified are abrasion, burn, cut, puncture, and eye injury, fracture and wound. The leading causes to these accidents are factors related to the work site situations (machine, hand tools ,)and workers‟ behavior such as workers‟ fault, mishandling, falling from height, hit by falling objects, (fall, slip and trip), and lifting heavy objects. Legs, finger, shoulder & neck are the body parts affected, while headache, pain in joint, shoulder and neck, back pain and depression are common illnesses in construction companies. Lack of PPE, poor hygienic condition and exposure to sunlight contributed for these diseases. Thousands of days are lost due to these accidents and diseases which entailed huge amount of financial cost to the companies. Occupational safety and health management system is developed to improve safety and health in construction industry.