Groupp 11 Section One

DEBRE BERHAN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
THESIS TITLE
HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF ROAD
CONSTRUCTION IN ADDIS ABABA
ADVISOR
ENGR. Ruperto T.Faelnar.Jr
BY: ID/NO
1. YIHENEW MENGSTIE.............................................ENGR/081/05
2. FELEKE ADANE........................................................ENGR/787/05
3. SINTAYEHU H/MARYAM.......................................ENGR/655/05
4. SEID HUSEN...............................................................ENGR316/05
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate studies in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the Degree of Bachelors of Science in Construction
Technology and Management
June 19/2017
Health and Safety Management Practice of Road Construction in Addis Ababa 2017
DECLARATION
we hereby declare that this submission is our own work towards the B.Sc. Construction
Technology and Management and that, to the best of our knowledge, it contains no material
previously published by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of
any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the
text.
Candidates
Yihenew Mengstie
Sintayehu H/maryam
Seid Hussen
Feleke Adane
Department Of Construction Technology And Management i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, we would like to thank the Almighty of God for enabling us to complete this work
after long and stressful days and nights. Next to god, our deepest gratitude goes to our
advisor ENgr. Ruperto T.faelnar.jr for his valuable guidance, comments and advice throughout
the whole work. Moreover, graceful thanks to our Co. Advisor Haymanot for her important
comment and advice to accomplish. We are also thanks Ato Tsega Seboka Gesisa (Ethiopian
Road Authority Training Centers Directorate Director) for helping us by stumping the
questionnaire that has filled by respondents. In addition, we would like to thank all the
respondents for giving their opinions to our questionnaire paper.
Finally thanks the Debre Berhan University that fulfilling the facilities needed to complete this
research.
Department Of Construction Technology And Management ii

TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................ ii
TABLE OF CONTENT .................................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLE ...............................................................................................................................v
LIST OF FIGURE ............................................................................................................................ vi
LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................... vii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. viii
CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................ 1
1. INTRODUTION ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 1
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................................... 3
1.3. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................... 4
1.4 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................. 5
1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................... 5
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 5
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY...................................................................................................... 6
1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER ............................................................................................ 6
CHAPTER TWO................................................................................................................................7
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................7
2.1. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ........................................7
2.2. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY ............................................. 8
2.3 ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ................................................................10
2.4 SAFETY IN ROAD PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 12
2.5 HEALTH HAZARD ............................................................................................................ 17
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2.6 SAFETY CONSIDERATION WHILE WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT AND PLANTS ...... 20
2.7 GENERAL SAFETY RULES FOR CONSTRUCTION ......................................................... 21
2.8 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION .......................................................................................... 22
2.9 HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL ....................................................................... 22
2.10 TOTAL SAFETY CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY................................... 25
2.11 COMPENSATING WAGE DIFFERENTIALS FOR JOB DISAMENITIES ........................ 27
2.12 PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ......................................... 27
2.13 THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ............................... 29
CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................................................... 33
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................................... 33
3.1 GENERAL METHOD ........................................................................................................ 33
3.2 SPECIFIC PROCIDURES .................................................................................................. 35
3.3 DATA COLLECTION........................................................................................................ 35
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................... 37
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .............................................................................................. 37
4.1 RESPONDENTS PERSONAL INFORMATION ................................................................. 37
4.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS ............................................................................................. 38
CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................. 46
5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 46
5.1 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 46
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................... 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................... 49
APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................... 50
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LIST OF TABLE
Table 1 Category of companies included in the sample ...................................................................... 37

Table 2 Category of respondents’ occupation ................................................................................... 37
Table 3 Respondents personal information ....................................................................................... 38
Table 4 Descriptive statistics .......................................................................................................... 39
Table 5 Descriptive statistics ............................................................................................................ 41
Table 6 Descriptive statistics .......................................................................................................... 43
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LIST OF FIGURE
Figure 1 Classification of accidents................................................................................................... 14

Figure 2 The most common accidents .............................................................................................. 44
Figure 3 The main problem of companies for implementation of H&S practice ................................... 45
Figure 4 The main cause of accidents ............................................................................................... 45
Department Of Construction Technology And Management vi

LIST OF ACRONYMS
AACRA...................................................................Addis Ababa City Road Authority

BBS..........................................................................Behavior Based Safety
CWD........................................................................Compensating Wage Differentials
ERA.........................................................................Ethiopian Road Authority
HS............................................................................Health and Safety
HSE.........................................................................Health and Safety Executives
ILO..........................................................................International Labour Organization
OSH........................................................................Occupational Safety and Health Management
PPE.........................................................................Personal Protective Equipment
TSC........................................................................Total Safety Culture
WHO......................................................................World Health Organization
Department Of Construction Technology And Management vii

ABSTRACT
Health and Safety Management Practices of Road Construction in Addis Ababa
Road construction workers are exposed to hazards. This study attempts to identify, health and
safety practices prevailing in road construction projects, issues and propose measures to mitigate.
Data was gathered through questionnaires. Study revealed that workers are exposed to hazards of
frequent and heavy lifting, noise and vibration, hazardous substances such as oil, gas, hydraulic
fluid, welding fumes, heavy vehicle operation, working in blasting faces, clearing operations,
slips, trips and falls, struck by, being struck by falling objects, hand-arm-whole body vibration,
dust, sources of noise, electrical hazards etc. In asphalting areas, workers are exposed to high
temperatures and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydro Carbons (PAHC), which are carcinogenic.
Working in excavated areas is prone to collapse of slopes. Workers are also prone to ergonomic
issues caused due to manual handling and awkward postures. Main causes of accidents have
been identified as fall from height, fall of objects, struck on stationary objects, struck by moving
objects, struck on moving objects, caught in between, exposure to heat, exposure to electricity
and exposure to harmful substances. It is recommended to conduct awareness programmes
through Labour Department Officials prior to commencement of construction work, qualified
Safety Officers should be employed, sites should be thoroughly inspected to eradicate hazards,
work zones should be safe for workers, consultant‟s field staff should check adequacy of
precautionary measures, importance of PPE should be emphasized, hazard areas should be
properly barricaded, trained flagman should be deployed, records of toolbox meetings should be
Maintained, near misses should be recorded, Safety Policy should be accessible to all workers,
and officials from the Labour Department should visit the sites to check compliance.
Department Of Construction Technology And Management viii

CHAPTER ONE
1. INTRODUTION
1.1 BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY

Construction is widely regarded as an accident-prone industry and it is said to be a sector with a
lot of accidents and injuries taking place always. The reasons construction is risky and prone to
safety risks are; because of the physical environment of the work, nature of the construction
work operations, construction methods, construction materials, heavy equipment used, and
physical properties of the construction project itself.
Construction Projects (of which road is one) are by far liable to safety hazards than any other
projects due to its nature; that is,
 Fragmented system of organization,
 Physical nature of tasks,
 Client and management priority,
 Attitudes of employees,
 Time and cost pressure, and
 Contract obligation
In our country, even though there is no accurate records or researches done, exports forward that
construction is the second Hazardous next to transportation. During construction, maintenance
and upgrading phase of road projects, a lot of accidents occur on and around the sites in relation
to both traffic and occupational hazards; i.e.
 Large number of workers suffers a serious problem due to different mechanical injury
during the work (occupational hazards).
 Large number of traffic accidents occurs at detours due to dust and/or mud, which
worsen the bad traffic accident trained of Ethiopia and results in:
 Death and injury of people (workers and road users)
 Damage of property (contractor‟s and road users‟)
Department Of Construction Technology And Management 1

The consequence of these accidents:

 Pose adverse effect on the cost and time of the project, which may contribute a black spot
to the overall progress of the project.
 Cause a negative impact on the socio– economic value of the country.
In spite of the fact that everyone agrees on the prevalence of the above problems, little attention
is given and no research is done on the minimization and mitigation of accidents during
construction phase of road projects. Due to this, the problem becomes more and more serious
from time to time.
The focus of the thesis is to search out the causes and find appropriate method to be adapted to
minimize accidents during implementation phase of road projects.
Safety regulations are made for the maintenance and assurance of safety of not only the worker
(employee) but also the public and the employer. Construction health and safety should be of
primary concern to employers, employees, governments and project participants (Kheni, 2008).
Thus, the main parties responsible for construction safety are the client, main contractor,
regulatory agencies and employees.
Government regulatory agencies should enact regulations to help ensure that a construction
project is safe to build, safe to use, and safe to maintain and delivers good value. Good safety
planning also helps to ensure that a project is well managed and that unexpected costs and
problems are minimized. Clients or employers should ensure that they provide safe working
environment for their employees. Employees should also be made aware of their health and
safety responsibilities.
Health and Safety management in the Road and construction industry is generally considered as
poor. Construction workers are generally susceptible to fatality rates three times the national
work place average and injury rates higher than those experienced in other sector. Construction
industry workers are more likely to be killed at work than those employed in any other industry
(Cole, 2003).
A Health and Safety Management System involves the introduction of processes designed to
decrease the incidence of injury and illness in the employer‟s operation (Turkson, 2006).

Successful implementation of the system requires management commitment to the system,

effective allocation of resources, and a high level of employee participation. The scope and
complexity of a Health and Safety Management System will vary according to the size and type
of workplace (Turkson, 2006).
The overall impact of injuries and illnesses on the economy is significant when both the direct
and indirect costs are considered and successful business leaders including building contractors
recognize that Health and Safety Management Systems are a necessary part of doing business.
The hidden, often unrecorded, indirect costs due to non-implementation of Health and Safety
Programs will increase costs resulting from property and equipment damage, production delays,
training for replacement workers, investigation time, downtime, missed deadlines, overtime costs
and reduced employee morale (Turkson, 2006).
As stated earlier, lost time, insurance costs and other expenses can add up quickly and if an
incident draws media coverage, the employer may find their sales, image and reputation will
suffer adverse effects. Of course, the true cost of human suffering cannot be accounted for
completely. Implementation of an effective Health and Safety Management System is a proactive
way to prevent injuries and illnesses. While it cannot guarantee that incidents will never occur on
a work site, an effective Health and Safety Management System will minimize both the number
and the severity of workplace incidents, and will help demonstrate due diligence and duty of care
in the event that an incident does occur. It can also distinguish a building contractor as an
employer of choice in a competitive market.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Workers in highway work zones are exposed to a variety of hazards and face risk of injury and
death from construction equipment as well as passing motor vehicles. Workers on foot are
exposed to passing traffic, often at high speeds, while workers who operate construction vehicles
are at risk of injury due to overturn, collision, or being caught in running equipment. Regardless
of the task assigned, all construction workers work in conditions of poor lighting, poor visibility,
inclement weather, congested work areas, high volume traffic and speeds.

Construction is a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving
construction, alteration, and /or repair. Construction workers engage in many activities that may
expose them to serious hazards.
According to the Labor Act (Act 651), it is the employer‟s duty to ensure that there is a safe and
healthy environment to carry out work and all works must be carried out in a safe manner as
possible. A typical construction site may require workers to wear a hard hat, overalls, safety
footwear, gloves, eye protection and high visibility vest. These must be provided to all
employees. There are safety problems on almost all construction sites. It is therefore required
that all personnel who are employed to carry out construction work on site must be trained,
competent and fit to do the job safely and without putting their own or others‟ safety at risk
(Labour Act 2003, Act 651).
Accidents not only result in considerable pain and suffering but also marginalize productivity,
quality, and time and negatively affect the environment and consequently add to the cost of
construction. Considering the adverse impacts of accidents, construction health and safety
management is of genuine concern to all stakeholders in the construction industry. In most
developing countries, health and safety consideration in construction project delivery is not given
priority, and employment of safety measures during construction is considered a burden. Health
and safety has been identified as a parameter, which should be used along with the traditional
parameters: cost, quality and time, to measure the success of projects. The reasons for
considering safety and health are human factor, legislation and financial issues.
A general survey in the construction industry indicates that adequate measures for health and
safety in the sites have not been put in place and various challenges are encountered in the
management of health and safety in construction. This manifests itself on construction sites as
numerous accidents/ injuries, health problems that result to hospitalization and absenteeism.
1.3. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to assess occupational health and safety practices on Road
construction industry in Ethiopia particularly in Addis Ababa.

1.4 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The specific objectives of this study are:
 Identify the health and safety issues prevailing in road construction projects.
 To measure the level awareness of the road construction industry regarding construction
safety program.
 To investigate the major causes of accidents during project implementation.
 To propose recommendations to enhance safety management in road construction sites.
1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This research assesses health and safety management practices on road construction industry in
Addis Ababa. The study measures the standard of the road safety and health practices in general.
This is done from the perspective of employees of construction companies and consultants. It is
based on opinion of engineers and Forman working in the road construction companies. Due to
shortage of time and other constraints, it was not possible to study this topic from different
perspectives (e.g. company owners, top management, clients, and government). In addition, this
study does not include the health and safety practices of other industries like factories in
Ethiopia.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is undertaken to establish the need for evaluating the safety performance of road
construction companies in order to;
Provide data on the safety performance of road construction companies. The study brings
to light how the road construction industry is performing and adhering to safety
practices.
Provide data or information that can be used by professionals and other agencies. It
serves as a reference point for people who may want to carry out similar studies in other
jurisdictions.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study doing on Addis Ababa road construction companies only. The scope of this research
is to introduce the foundations on which appropriate health and safety systems may be built to
improve health and safety standards at construction site. Measures to be followed during the
construction of the project to provide safe workplace to all employees and to protect them
against accidents.
1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER

This paper is organized in five chapters. Chapter one presents introductions of the study. Chapter
two presents the literature review. Chapter three presents the research methodology. Chapter four
presents the results and discussion. Finally, chapter five presents the conclusions and
recommendations.

CHAPTER TWO
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The construction industry is considered one of the most hazardous industries in the world. It is a
fact that accidents and injuries can bring great losses to individuals, organizations and societies
or the public at large. It has been clearly stated that safety is not a luxury but a necessity, and can
prevent unnecessary loss of property, injury, or death. In some countries, a contractor‟s safety
performance record can be considered in contractor qualification. Moreover, the suffering
because of an accident to both injured parties and their families cannot be measured in economic
terms, even if the injured parties have been adequately compensated by insurance.
Safety is a concern to all in the construction industry from top management to the least worker
on site. The ever-increasing cost of medical treatment and the potential for lawsuits can lead to
higher insurance premiums, which in turn have a negative impact on a company's profit.
2.1. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry is one of the biggest industrial employers in many countries of the
world. The construction industry plays an important role in the economy, and the activities of the
industry are vital to the achievement of national socio-economic development goals of providing
shelter, infrastructure and employment. It is clear that construction activities affect nearly every
aspect of the economy and that the industry is vital to the continued growth of the economy.
The role the construction industry plays in socio-economic development is significant. The
industry is a distinct sector of the economy, which makes its direct contributions to economic
growth. Infrastructure is indispensable to achieve the main development targets such as
urbanization, industrialization, equitable income distribution, and sustainable economic
development.
Different decision makers sequentially develop many of the decisions throughout the
construction process. In a typical public construction project, the employer (public body), the
engineer (consultant) in charge of contract administration, and the general contractor are the
major stakeholders. Public employers invest capital and provide economic power. The engineer

acting as the employer„s representative maintains efficient progress on a project. The contractor
provides service, skills, and knowledge towards achieving a successful project, that is, a project
completed on time, on budget, and of the best or specified quality.
2.2. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY
2.2.1 Health
It is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of
disease. This includes the promotion and maintenance of physical, mental and social well being
of workers, Prevention among workers of ill-health caused by the working conditions, Protection
of workers in their employment from risk resulting from factors adverse to health, Placing and
maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physical and
psychological equipment.
2.2.2 Safety
The Oxford advanced learners dictionary (2010) defines safety as the state of being safe and
protected from danger or harm.
Safety according to the Wikipedia free encyclopedia is the state of being "safe", the condition of
being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational,
psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents,
harm or any other event which could be considered non-desirable.
Safety can be defined to be the control of recognized hazards to achieve an acceptable level of
risk. This can take the form of being protected from the event or from exposure to something,
which causes health or economical losses. It can include protection of people or of possessions of
construction companies (wikipedia.org).
Safety is a concern to all in the construction industry, from top management to the least worker
on site. The construction industry is considered as one of the most hazardous industries
throughout the world. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
the leading safety hazards on site are falls from height, motor vehicle crashes, excavation
accidents, electrocution, machines, and being struck by falling objects. Many construction sites

cannot completely exclude non-workers. Road construction sites must often allow traffic to pass
through. This places non-workers at some degree of risk.
Previous Research on safety performance evaluation methods revealed Accident Rate, Incidence
Rate, Experience Modification Rating and Score Card as various means of evaluating safety
performance of construction companies. The existing methods comes with limitations therefore
other researchers have proposed means of overcoming the limitations associated with existing
methods of evaluating construction safety performance.
On the other hand, Construction Site Safety Management is defined as the efficient and effective
implementation of the policies and tasks necessary to satisfy the safety of a construction firm's
employees and management. Construction safety management focuses on the careful
management of the processes involved in the production and distribution of products and
services within construction sites (Bernold et al.1993). According to Bernold et al (1993)
activities such as the management of purchases, the control of inventories, logistics and
evaluations are often related with construction site safety management. Therefore, construction
site safety management includes the analysis and management of internal processes.
Contributing to the high rate of accidents are those characteristics of the industry, which
distinguish it from the rest of the manufacturing sector. These are:
1) The high proportion of small firms and of self-employed workers;
2) The variety and comparatively short life of construction sites;
3) The high turnover of workers;
4) The large numbers of seasonal and migrant workers, many of whom are unfamiliar with
construction processes;
5) Exposure to the weather;
6) The many different trades and occupations (ILO, 1995).

2.2.2.1 Efforts to Improve Safety

According to graphic online, a draft national occupational safety and health policy designed to
prevent industrial accidents and minimize the incidence of diseases has been developed by the
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to replace the existing policy, which has become
outmoded in many respects.
2.2.2.2 Safety in Construction

The main health and safety site requirements in construction relate to tidy sites and decent
welfare, falls from height, manual handling, and transport on site. Site operatives are normally
required to plan and organize their operations, ensure that they are trained and competent and
know the special risks of their trade and raise problems with their site supervisor or safety
representative.
The main personal protective equipment (PPE) in construction (including clothing affording
protection against the weather) which is intended to be worn or held by a person at work and
which protects him against one or more risks to his safety should always be used. A typical
construction site may require workers to be in personal protective equipment. These must be
provided to all employees. Construction safety should be of primary concern to employers,
employees, governments and project participants. Main Contractors must check that all
subcontractors are conforming by providing PPE for all their employees free of charge.
Employees should be made aware of their responsibility to wear the PPE appropriately, take care
of equipment and report any defects.
There are safety problems on almost all construction sites, which relate to reporting accidents,
employing and subcontracting. All personnel who are employed to carry out construction work
on site must be trained, competent and fit to do the job safely and without putting their own or
others‟ safety at risk; properly supervised and given clear instructions; have access to washing
and toilet facilities; have the right tools, equipment, plant and protective clothing; educated about
safety issues.
2.3 ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Many accidents occur during the implementation of construction projects, which may affect
efficiency of the project.

2.3.1 Causes of Accidents

Generally, accidents may occur due to either unsafe conditions or unsafe acts (American Safety
Council, 4th edition, 1973). Unsafe conditions are the presence potential of hazards in work
places, where as unsafe acts refer to the behavior or culture of workers against the safety rules
and policies. However, these are the two faces of the same coin in the management of safety.
2.3.1.1 Unsafe Conditions

This is the accident due to high hazardous potential and lack of appropriate safety policy,
procedure etc.
2.3.1.2 Unsafe Acts/Practices

Recent data even for developed countries, in spite of advanced technology contributing for safety
purpose, show that accident records prevail little improvements. The reason for this is
employees‟ attitude. Human errors can occur for a whole multitude reasons. For example, people
may be:
 Believing „it will not happen to me‟.
 Deviating from safety procedures to gain some personal benefits such as getting home
earlier, or receiving bonus.
 Unaware of or underestimate the hazards associated with their work.
 In the context of intense time and economic pressure typical of construction work, there
is high tendency of people to cut corners in the belief that they are acting in the interest
of their employer in finishing the job early or on time to avoid penalties.
 Feel it is “macho” to follow safety procedures such as wearing protective equipment to
rationalize risks away.
 Quite simply humans are fallible and make mistakes or behave unpredictably, perhaps
due to tiredness or preoccupation with other issue.
Adequate supervision, proper training, providing safety incentives, and building employee moral
can minimize accidents due to unsafe acts.

2.4 SAFETY IN ROAD PROJECTS

Expansion and improvement of road network is one of the key factors for the socioeconomic
development of a country. They are the blood streams to convey raw material to production area,
products to market area and link society of different community. However, implementation of
road projects is a big challenge for developing country because it needs huge capital, highly
skilled labor, and expensive machinery and associated with hazards due to its nature.
2.4.1 BACKGROUND OF SAFETY ON ROAD PROJECTS

The issue of safety in road construction has become critical in Ethiopia- a country with low
construction activities taking place. The number of people killed and injured, and the amount of
property damaged because of road construction activities has been steadily increasing and the
country is experiencing a tremendous loss of life and property each year. This trend of accident
is not in a state of declining; but rather has continued to rise enormously. This increase in the
number of crushes and fatalities indicates that these losses are undoubtedly inhibiting the
economic and social development of a country, and adding to poverty and hardship of the
country at large. In the process of developing and expanding networks, problems arise especially
in upgrading and rehabilitation schemes and sometimes in new construction if attention not given
to safety.
2.4.2 NATURE OF ROAD PROJECTS

Even though the scope of road projects differs based on type of roads to be constructed, typical
nature of road projects is complex activity, capital and equipment intensive and fragmented site
organization. The concepts are defined here under:
 Capital-intensive: the demand of expensive equipment and plant, skilled labor, high
technology, etc makes road projects a high capital seeker. For instance, in Ethiopia, a
kilometer of construction or upgrading may need millions of Birr. Thus, the road
construction sector accounts a large share of the federal budget of the country.

 Equipment intensive: the presence of large number of activities and difficulty of work
demand correspondingly large number of equipment, most of which are too expensive.
Among these, the common are: excavators, loaders, damp trucks, compactors, graders,
mixers, rollers, dozers, etc.
 Site organization: the site organization of road project is too complex, fragmented and
dynamic (changeable). Among these, the major ones are:
 Quarry site: it is the site where blasting, excavation and transportation of
aggregates are involved.
 Roadwork site: this is the working site along the length of the road at which large
numbers of activities take place. This varies along the length of the road.
 Camp: it is a temporary village to be used for accommodation and storage purpose. A
typical camp may consist of residential area, parking area, fuel storage area and material
storage area, temporary power plant, garage, etc.
2.4 .3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF ACCIDENTS ON ROAD PROJECTS
⇒ Based on the victims‟ accidents occurring at road construction can be categorized as:
 Accident on workers: The victims are workers in this accident.
 Accident on road users: this is the accident in which the victims are users of the existing
road in and around construction sites
⇒ Based on location, accidents on workers can be classified as:

 On-site accident; accidents that occur at the working area of road construction.
 Off-site accident; accidents that occur out of the working area.
⇒ Based on the origin of causes, on-site accidents can be classified as:

 External origin; accidents that occur on workers due to the road users
 Internal origin; accidents that occur on workers due to the system itself.
⇒ Based on the site organization, internal accident can be classified as:

 Quarry site accident; accidents that occur around the quarry areas
 Construction site accident; accidents that occur around construction area

Classification of accident can be summarized in the figure below:
Accidents
On workers On users
Off site On site
Construction
Quarry site
site
Figure 1 Classification of accidents
2.4.4 MAJOR CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Accidents around road construction may occur on either workers (occupational accident) or road
users (traffic accident) due to different reasons. These causes can be categorized as follows:
A. Accidents on Workers
Accidents on workers may occur either at construction site or out of construction site. These
accidents can categorize as follow:
Onsite Accident
An accident occurs either on workers or on road users in the construction area.
I. External Accident
 Inappropriate use or not use of traffic signals (include meaning, position and erection)
Among the common traffic signals used during road construction are:
1. Men working sign 3. Road narrow sign
2. Speed limit sign 4. Change direction sign

5. Road closed sign 7. Cones

6. Detour sign, and
 Ignorance of visibility:
It is recommended that
 All workers should wear high visible garments and helmets for the purpose of visibility.
 Equipments and plants on road construction should be of highly visible color (usually
reddish yellow).
 Inappropriate design and construction of divert roads
 Inadequacy of side lanes during partial closing of the roads.
II. Internal Accident

An accident occurs either on workers or on road users at the construction projects.
1) At construction site
In road construction, large number of equipment and vehicles are involved. Therefore, accidents
may occur due to:
 Run over by trucks during back ward or forward movements.
 Collision between vehicles.
 Collision between moving vehicles and parked ones.
 Collision between vehicles and fixed objects like stone, tree.
 Overturning of vehicles at gorges due to failure or absence of guard Means.
 Overturning of vehicles at untreated ditch due to failure of soil mass.
 Collision or overturning during reversing.
2) At quarry site
Accidents that occur on workers during the operation at the quarry site. It is because of the
following reasons.
 inappropriate marking of explosion zone,
 collapsing of rock mass,
 sparks of debris,

 down falling of stone debris,

 Inappropriate loading or overloading of trucks.
Off-Site Accidents
Off-site accidents in road projects are mainly traffic accidents. As mentioned earlier, the camp
and working area are not usually at same position; so, accidents due to traffic may occur during
to and from site, movement of workers, mobilization, etc. The damage due to these accidents can
be:
1) Falling off workers from moving truck that is not designed for this purpose.
2) Failure or overturning of vehicle due to overloading or other factors.
3) Collision with other vehicle.
Causes of off-site accidents

These traffic accidents occur due to failures to obey traffic rules; such as:
 Lack of knowledge and awareness of equipment management, load and route (most
drivers don‟t read the vehicle‟s manual)
 Failure to inspect equipment
 Being unfamiliar with equipment
 Being unfamiliar with loadings
 Lack of personnel control:
 Driving while drowsy
 Reacting emotionally to driving situation
 Driving under influence of alcohol drug
 Driving while ill
 Errors in observation
 Failure to observe traffic at rear or front
 Failure to observe left or right of vehicle
 Failure to observe objects or pedestrian on the path of vehicle
 Errors of signaling
 Failure to signal or late to do so
 Failure to use horn

 Failure in clearance judgments

 Speed control problem at turning and passing
B. Accidents on Road Users

Many road user of the public highway are killed or injured in traffic accidents during
maintenance or upgrading of road projects due to:
Inadequate divert road: this inurn can be

 Collision due to coverage of the surrounding with rising dust
 Collision due to abrupt decline of front vehicle‟s speed as a result of mud
 Collision due to backward sliding of vehicles
 Overturning due to mud
 Overturning due to the presence of stockpile of materials on the edge of roads
 Collision during overtaking due to inadequate lane width
 Collision due to inadequate visibility or sight distance
 Overturning due to absence of appropriate guard rails on hilly sides or high fills.
Due to lack of appropriate signs

Among the signs that are commonly used for directing of road users are
 Road closed sign
 Road narrow sign
 Detour Sign
 Speed limit sign
 Direction change sign
 Not overtaking sign
2.5 HEALTH HAZARD

Generally, hazards that result in health problems in the long run considered as health hazards.
These can be categorized as:
1. Chemical hazards
2. Physical hazards
3. Biological hazards

2.5.1. CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Dangers from chemicals may arise from contact with the skin, inhalation, or
ingestion/swallowing.
Contact with the Skin

Dermatitis is the common occupational skin disease and can be caused by contact with a number
of materials commonly used in construction. Cement particularly when wetted, is an example
and if it contains chromates, the danger is increased.
Inhalation of Harmful Chemicals

The inhalation of certain dusts, fumes, gases and vapors may give rise to a variety of risks to
health including respiratory disorders, poisoning, asphyxiation and cancer. Some of the more
common substances are discussed below.
 Asbestos dust: all types of asbestos dust are dangerous and breathing them may lead to
asbestosis, which is a scarring of the lungs and causing shortness of breath and lung
cancer. Asbestos is present in a number of products, e.g. asbestos cement roofing sheets,
rainwater and soil pipes etc. Nowadays using asbestos containing materials is prohibited
by substitution of other safe material or otherwise use of exhaust ventilation equipment.
 Silica Dust: it is commonly found in most dusts and cause damage to the lungs called
silicosis resulting difficulty of breathing similar to asbestosis.
 Carbon Monoxide: it is one of the most dangerous gases likely to encounter in
construction site. Headache, nausea, dizziness and loss of coordination may result from
low level of exposure whereas high-level rapid death. Moreover, regular low-level
exposure may lead to heart disease. This is critically important in tunnel construction.
 Carbon Dioxide: it occurs naturally in chalk and lime stone areas. High concentration in
confined space may result in oxygen deficiency and dangerous atmosphere. This accident
is common in manhole work.
 Hydrogen Sulfide: in high concentration it can cause death and in low-level irritation to
the eye, nose and throat, dizziness and headache. It may generally be found in sewage,
other decomposing organic materials, and excavation in made up ground.

 Nitrous Fumes: nitrous fumes are very toxic and exposure to high concentration may
prove fatal. Lower concentration may result in bronchitis. The common source is from
the use of explosives in excavation and tunnels. The problem will be serious if in
confined area.
 Cadmium: breathing cadmium fumes would result in cadmium poisoning which occurs
suddenly, causing drowsiness, vomiting, loss of muscular control and possibly death.
Cadmium fumes are released during cutting, welding, and brazing operations with
cadmium plated steel. The operations become serious when the operation is carried out
spaces like tanks and fabricated structures.
 Lead: lead poisoning may arise from breathing either lead dust or lead fumes and result
in fatigue anemia colic wrist drop. The cutting and burning of old structures covered in
lead based paint releases lead dust and lead fume and therefore the highest risk area is
probably demolition.
2.5.2. PHYSICAL HAZARDS

Among the common physical hazards that lead different risks are cold, heat, noise, vibration,
ionization radiation etc. However, in our country climatic problem is not that much hazardous.
Ionization Radiation; Sealed radioactive sources are widely used in construction industry, to
check welded joints in pipeline, for example, and for other non-destructive testing.
Those working in nuclear power stations, processing plants, and laboratories may also expose
ionizing radiation. The effect of exposure to ionizing radiation may be radiological dermatitis,
skin burns, loss of hair and bone cancer.
Vibration; A most common injury is caused by continued exposure of hands to high frequencies
of vibration from tools such as pneumatic hammers, concrete breakers, drills and chipping
hammers. It starts with a slight tingling or numbness in the fingers and eventually caused
whiteness to the tip. Attacks may last about an hour and end with a sudden rush of blood to the

affected tip, often causing considerable pain. This occurrence can be reduced by the use of
vibration isolators by the operator exerting the lightest pressure on the tool commensurate with
paper control and the provision of breaks from the work on to non-vibrating work for the
operator. The maintenance of good circulation and warm hands is also helpful and the wearing of
comfortable gloves can be an asset.
2.6 SAFETY CONSIDERATION WHILE WORKING WITH EQUIPMENT AND

PLANTS
In the construction of road projects different activities are done at different stage, this in turn
needs different equipment and plant. So proper care should be taken before implementation of
the construction of projects. Among these, the following are the major areas where safety should
be applied:
2.6.1 SAFETY AT CRUSHER SITES

The manufacturer, considering all the safety of operating personnel, designs crushing and
screening equipment. It should not be changed or modified in any manner that eliminates the
accident prevention devices. All equipment comes from the manufacturer with protective guards,
covers, and shields installed around moving parts. These devices protect operators and others
working on or near the machines.
2.6.2 SAFETY AT ASPHALT PLANT SITES

Personnel working around asphalt plants must be trained to be conscious. The potential for a
serious fire results from the presence of burner fuel for the drier, liquid asphalt, and hot oil of the
heat transfer system.
Besides the fire potential, many of the mechanical parts are very hot. These will cause severe
burns if personnel should come in to contact with them. The mechanical system for moving the
aggregates, with its belts, sprockets, and chain drives, presents a hazard to personnel if they
should come entangled in the system‟s moving parts.
Even at the paving spread, the mix is stealing very hot and direct contact will result in severe
burns. Additionally, trucks backing to the paver have limited rear visibility. Personnel must be
made aware of these hazards on a regular basis and necessary safety equipment provided.

2.7 GENERAL SAFETY RULES FOR CONSTRUCTION

These are general safety rules recommended by different safety manuals
1. Do not operate any power tool or equipment unless you are trained in its operation and
authorized by your firm to do so.
2. Standard guard rails must be erected around excavations must be barricaded. Contact
your supervisor for the correct specifications.
3. Use tools only for their designed purpose.
4. Shavings, dust scraps, oil or grease should not be allowed to accumulate. Good
housekeeping is a part of the job.
5. Do not remove, deface or destroy any warning, danger sign, or barricade, or interfere
with any form of protective device or practice provided for your use or that is being used
by other workers.
6. Know the location and use of fire extinguishing equipment and the procedure for
sounding a fire alarm.
7. Always store materials in a safe manner. Tie down or support piles if necessary to
prevent falling, rolling, or shifting.
8. Trash piles must be removed as soon as possible. Trash is a safety and fire hazard.
9. Do not block aisles, traffic lanes, fire exits, or gangways.
10. Avoid shortcuts – use ramps, ladders, etc.
11. Get help with heavy or bulky materials to avoid injury to yourself or damage to material.
12. Keep all tools away from the edges of platforms, shaft openings, etc.
13. Know the correct use of hand and power tools. Use the right tool for the job.
14. Flammable liquids shall be used only in small amounts at the job location and in
approved safety cans.
15. Proper guards or shields must be installed on all power tools before use. Do not use any
tools without the guards in their proper working condition.
16. All electrical power tools (unless double insulated), extension cords, and equipment must
be properly grounded.
17. All electrical power equipment and tools must be grounded or double insulated.
There are statutory instruments and legislative frameworks in many developed countries to
govern construction operations on site and help in minimizing health and safety hazards.

The Health and Safety at work to regulate work activities about safety. The Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) set and enforce standards concerning workplace safety and
health.
2.8 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

The purpose of an investigation is to find the cause of an incident and prevent future
occurrences, not to fix blame. An unbiased approach is necessary to obtain objective findings.
 Visit the incident scene as soon as possible – while facts are fresh and before witnesses
forget important details.
 If possible, interview the injured worker at the scene of the incident and ―walk him or
her through a re-enactment. Be careful not to actually repeat the act that caused the
injury.
 All interviews should be conducted as privately as possible. Interview witnesses one at a
time. Talk with anyone who has knowledge of the incident, even if they did not actually
witness the mishap.
 Consider taking the signed statements in cases where facts are unclear or there is an
element of controversy.
 Graphically document details of the incident: area, tools, and equipment. Use sketches,
diagrams, and photos as needed, and take measurements when appropriate.
 Focus on causes and hazards. Develop an analysis of what happened, how it happened,
and how it could have been prevented. Determine what caused the incident itself (unsafe
equipment/condition, unsafe act, etc), not just the injury.
 How will you prevent such incidents in the future? Every investigation should include an
action plan.
 If a third party or defective product contributed to the incident, save any evidence. It
could be critical to the recovery of the claim costs.
2.9 HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Continually review the work environment and work practices to control or prevent workplace
hazards.

Systems used to prevent and control hazards include (OSHA, 2002):

 Engineering Controls
 Safe Work Practices
 Administrative Controls
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Systems to Track Hazard Correction
 Preventive Maintenance Systems
 Emergency Preparation
 Medical Programs
Engineering Controls
The first and best strategy is to control the hazard at its source. Engineering controls do this,
unlike other controls that generally focus on the employee exposed to the hazard. The basic
concept behind engineering controls is that, to the extent feasible, the work environment and the
job itself should be designed to eliminate hazards or reduce exposure to hazards.
Engineering controls can be simple in some cases. They are based on the following principles:
 If feasible, design the facility, equipment, or process to remove the hazard or substitute
something that is not hazardous.
 If removal is not feasible, enclose the hazard to prevent exposure in normal operations.
 Where complete enclosure is not feasible, establish barriers or local ventilation to reduce
exposure to the hazard in normal operations.
Safe Work Practices

Safe work practices include the company„s general workplace rules and other operation-specific
rules. For example, even when a hazard is enclosed, exposure can occur when maintenance is
necessary. Through established safe work practices, employee exposure to hazards can be further
reduced.
Administrative Controls
Administrative controls to mean other measures aimed at reducing employee exposure to
hazards. These measures include additional relief workers, exercise breaks and rotation of

workers. These types of controls are normally used in conjunction with other controls that more
directly prevent or control exposure to the hazard.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

When exposure to hazards cannot be engineered completely out of normal operations or
maintenance work, and when safe work practices and other forms of administrative controls
cannot provide sufficient additional protection, a supplementary method of control is the use of
protective clothing or equipment. This is collectively called personal protective equipment, or
PPE. PPE may also be appropriate for controlling hazards while engineering and work practice
controls are being installed.
PPE Hazard Assessment and Training

The basic element of any management program for PPE should be an in depth evaluation of the
equipment needed to protect against the hazards at the workplace. The evaluation should be used
to set a standard operating procedure for personnel, and then train employees on the protective
limitations of the PPE, and on its proper use and maintenance. Using PPE requires hazard
awareness and training on the part of the user. Employees must be aware that the equipment does
not eliminate the hazard. If the equipment fails, exposure will occur. To reduce the possibility of
failure, equipment must be properly fitted and maintained in a clean and serviceable condition.
Systems to Track Hazard Correction

An essential part of any safety and health system is the correction of hazards that occur despite
the overall prevention and control program. For larger sites, documentation is important so that
management and employees have a record of the correction. Hazard correction information can
be noted on an inspection report next to the hazard description. Employee reports of hazards and
reports of accident investigation should provide space for notations about hazard correction.
Preventive Maintenance Systems

Good preventive maintenance plays a major role in ensuring that hazard controls continue to
function effectively. It also keeps new hazards from arising due to equipment malfunction.

Reliable scheduling and documentation of maintenance activity is necessary. The scheduling

depends on knowledge of what needs maintenance and how often. The point of preventive
maintenance is to get the work done before repairs or replacement is needed. Documentation is
not only a good idea, but is a necessity.
Emergency Preparation
During emergencies, hazards appear that normally are not found in the workplace. These may be
the result of natural causes (floods, tornadoes, etc.), events caused by humans but beyond control
(train or plane accidents, terrorist activities, etc.), or within a firm„s own systems due to
unforeseen circumstances or events.
You must become aware of possible emergencies and plan the best way to control or prevent the
hazards they present. Some of the steps in emergency planning include:
 Survey of possible emergencies;
 Planning actions to reduce impact on the workplace;
 Employee information and training;
 Emergency drills as needed.
Medical Programs
A company„s medical program is an important part of the safety and health system. It can deliver
services that prevent hazards that can cause illness and injury, recognize and treat illness and
injury, and limit the severity of work-related injury and illness. The size and complexity of a
medical program will depend on many factors, including the:
 Type of processes and materials and the related hazards,
 Type of facilities,
 Number of workers,
 Characteristics of the workforce, and
 Location of each operation and its proximity to a health care facility.
2.10 TOTAL SAFETY CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY

When participating in construction safety management, proactive owners generally implement
initiatives that promote safety. The concept of total safety culture and behavior-based safety

management are among the latest safety management initiatives that are introduced. Today, as
the zero injuries objective is accepted and sought by many owners and contractors, total safety
culture (TSC) and behavior-based safety (BBS) have become the popular approaches being
implemented by many proactive firms. The basic logic of these approaches is to prevent
construction accidents by continually addressing the very front-end of the accident chain – the
culture and habits. Safety management is based on the scientific approach that is focused on the
psychology and the behavior of workers.
Geller (2001) summarized the essence of TSC as the following:

 Promotes a work environment based on employee involvement, ownership, teamwork,
education, training, and leadership.
 Builds self-esteem, empowerment, pride, enthusiasm, optimism, and encourages
innovation.
 Reinforces the need for employees to actively care about their fellow co-workers.
 Promotes the philosophy that safety is not a priority that can be reordered, but is a value
associated with every priority.
 Recognizes group and individual achievement.
He further pointed out that total safety culture requires continual attention to three domains
environmental factors (including equipment, tools, physical layout, procedures, standards, and
temperature), personal factors (including people„s attitudes, beliefs, and personalities), and
behavior factors (including safe and at-risk work practices, as well as going beyond the call of
duty to intervene on behalf of another person„s safety). In a total safety culture:
 Everyone feels responsible for safety and does something about it on a daily basis;
 People go beyond the call of duty to identify unsafe conditions and at-risk behaviors‟,
and they intervene to correct them;
 Safe work practices are supported intermittently with rewarding feedback from both
peers and managers;
 People actively care continuously for the safety of themselves and others;
 Safety is not considered a priority, but it is a value. This change in philosophy is based on
the premise that priorities can change but values cannot.

2.11 COMPENSATING WAGE DIFFERENTIALS FOR JOB DISAMENITIES

The theory of compensating wage differentials (CWDs), originates in the economics discipline,
which has been argued to constitute the fundamental long-run market equilibrium construct of
labour economics. This theory questions the necessity of health and safety policies. According to
this theory, the existence of market forces ensures the payment of wage premiums by firms,
which are characterized by inferior working conditions, as a means of recruiting and retaining
valuable labour. It is further postulated that in a perfectly competitive labour market an
equilibrium wage distribution should arise whereby matching of the preferences of workers and
firms occurs. Thus, risk-averse workers will take up jobs in firms, which provide a safer working
environment; whereas less risk-averse workers will be more willing to be employed in jobs in
which the marginal cost of safety provision is dearer (Pouliakas and Theodossiou, 2010).
Therefore, it raises the question about whether government intervention in the form of
occupational safety and health (OSH) policies and regulations is likely to distort the efficiency of
the incentives provided by competitive markets. Nevertheless, the CWD to work properly
requires the existence of competitive markets forces at work and there are convincing arguments
that exist on both equity and efficiency grounds regarding the necessity for OSH policies
(Pouliakas and Theodossiou, 2010).
2.12 PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Occupational health and safety is an extensive multidisciplinary field, invariably touching on
issues related to among others things, medicine and other scientific fields, law, technology,
economics and concerns specific to various industries. Despite this variety of concerns and
interests, certain basic principles can be identified including the following (ILO, 2001):
1) All workers have rights. Workers as well as employers and governments, must ensure
that this rights are protected and foster decent conditions of labour.
2) Occupational health and safety policies must be established. Such policies must be
implemented at both governmental and enterprise level. They must be effectively
communicated to all concerned parties.

3) There is need for consultation with the social partners i.e. employers, workers and other
stakeholders. This should be done during formulation, implementation and review of
policies.
4) Prevention and protection must be the aim of occupational health and safety programs.
Efforts must be focused on primary prevention at work place level. Work places and
working environments should be planned and designed to be safe and healthy.
5) Information is vital for the development and implementation of effective programs and
policies. The collection and dissemination of accurate information on hazards and
hazardous materials, surveillance of workplace, monitoring compliance with policies and
good practices are crucial.
6) Health promotion is central element of occupational health and safety practice. Efforts
must be made to enhance workers „physical, mental and social well-being.
7) Compensation, rehabilitation and curative services must be made available to workers
who suffer occupational injuries, accidents and work-related disease. The consequences
of Occupational hazards should be minimized.
8) Education and training are vital components of safe and healthy working environment.
Workers and employers must be aware of the importance and means of establishing safe
working procedures.
9) Workers, employers and competent authorities have certain responsibilities, duties and
obligations. For example, workers must follow established procedures; employers must
provide safe work place; and authorities must advise, communicate and review health and
safety policies.
10) Policies must be enforced. A system of inspection must be in place to secure compliance
with occupational health and safety policies.
In addition to the above general statements, there are also different principles and good practices
that are relevant to enhance occupational health and safety of companies including:
1. Establishment of safety and health committee, appointing a designated safety officer in
the companies.
2. Companies should provide adequate and proper safety equipment and enforces the use of
the safety equipments.

3. Workers should be encouraged to intervene when unsafe conditions are observed. Unsafe
jobs should be stopped when they are found, giving priority to safety.
4. Workers should not be forced to work too many hours per week, because fatigue can be a
cause for accidents.
5. The companies should have injury management programs like: medical insurance for
workers, compensation for workers suffering occupational accident, first aid kit should be
available and easily accessible with sufficient materials in it.
2.13 THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Safety measures must be strictly followed especially in the site. There are many incidents, which
they cannot predict ahead of time; and prevention is necessary to avoid serious conditions among
the workers. Head is one of the vital parts of the body since it contains the brain. A helmet
should be wear always to protect the head. In the construction site, there are many falling debris.
If the workers are on the ground, there is a great possibility that any of these falling objects
might hit them.
However, if they constantly use their helmet and it happens that the falling objects are hitting
them, they might not have serious injury.
They should wear their safety harness. Most especially if the bridge, which they have built, is
very tall; it is a part of their job to work with heights. If they use safety harness, safety lanyards,
and roof fall protection, they will be prevented by sudden fall accident. These workers work
under pressure with their deadlines and under the heat of the sun. Because of these, they can„t
avoid to sometimes lose their grip.
They must also protect their eyes with the use of eye goggles. Specifically, those who are
electricians and welders are prone to eye irritation. Hand gloves are also one of those safety
gears being used. These will protect them from slipping their hands off while they are holding
the rails or metals.
Safety first aid kit and medicines should be all over the site. If an accident will occur, with the
application of first aid, it will prevent the situation of the workers to aggravate. If the incident is

less serious, first aid can solve the problem without the need of taking the affected worker in to
the hospital.
There should also be safety and danger signs to warn each of the workers, specifically, if the area
involves with electricity. If danger signs are present, the workers will be able to prepare on how
to approach the area without harming themselves.
If company owners will have the proper compliance about the importance and the application of
safety measures for their workers, they will also have successful and productive projects.
Safety expert John Meola expresses his list of top ten reasons for construction accidents, as well
as precautions one can take to ensure safe equipment operation on the construction site.
1. Getting on and off equipment

Getting on and off the machine is one of the causes of injury to equipment operators, therefore;
checking your gloves and boots. Clean the mud off before climbing, and use "high grip" gloves
for a secure handhold. Next, use a three-point stance going and coming. Use large size hand and
foot holds. Securely engage the entire hand and foot, avoiding a toehold or finger-hold grip. Use
a stepladder for access when no hand or footholds are provided. Avoid carrying objects while
climbing.
If the machine needs additional hand holds or steps installed, do it. Operators come in different
sizes. Make it as easy and safe as possible to ascend/descend. Avoid the need to stretch by
putting the grab rails where they are easy to securely reach.
2. Loading/unloading equipment
Even on level ground, there is a risk of machine rollover during loading or unloading. Make sure
you are centered on the ramps and stay straight. Allow enough room to maneuver the trailer and
machine, which is sometimes difficult on tightly compressed jobsites.
Use a spotter for guidance. Make sure the machine clears the ramps before turning. Keep people
away from the sides of the machine during loading/ unloading. Check the trailer deck, clearances
and stability. Review your lock-out/tag-out plan to be sure the machine is at "Zero Energy State"
when stowed.

3. People crowding the work area

People on the ground must stay well away from the machine operating area. Review this
important point at safety meetings. Foremen need to enforce this, not the operator.
When ready to start work, use the horn to warn people to stay back; stop the machine if needed;
and always check your back before backing up the machine.
4. Machine swing radius

It is important to rope off the swing radius around the machine or otherwise secure it. Allow no
spectators; use a spotter to keep all people clear.
5. Operation on slopes
Caution is always required when operating on slopes. You might make it up the slope with a
load, but coming down is another story! Know the limits of the machine allow for surface
conditions and do not push it.
6. Overhead/buried obstructions
Be aware of overhead obstructions and underground utilities, including electrical lines, water,
sewer, gas, telecom, etc.
Definitively mark or warn of overhead lines or low clearances. Continue to use caution even
after underground lines are marked, since errors in marking are common. Be prepared to hand
dig when it is getting close.
7. Backing
Always check the machine perimeter before moving. When vision is impaired, have a spotter (in
high-visibility apparel) guide you. Use wide-angle mirrors. The new generation of machines is
fitted with best viewable surface mirrors. Keep them clean and adjusted.
Use rear-mounted cameras and/or rear-mounted presence-sensing alarms. Presence-sensing
alarms are becoming more reliable as technology improves. The equipment industry recognizes
the urgency of the problem and will find technical solutions to address chronic people behavior
problems.

8. Machine upset
Always use a seat belt. A professional operator will not have to be reminded of this rule. Wear
the belt even with the cab door closed. It decreases how much you will bounce around in the cab
during normal operations, and may help you control the machine in a borderline upset situation.
In addition, operators need to understand the machine's stability characteristics on all surface
types and conditions. Check to see if the equipment manufacturer or dealer offers an
instructional video.
9. Instability or loss of load

All rigging attachments for lifting must be engineered for safety.
10. Lock-out/Tag-out
All pinch points on a machine must be identified and protected (guarded) when possible. The
minimum warning is a pictorial decal advising of the hazard.

CHAPTER THREE
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design is the blueprint for conducting the study that maximizes control over factors that
could interfere with the validity of the findings. Designing a study helps the researcher to plan
and implement the study in a way that will help the researcher to obtain intended results, thus
increasing the chances of obtaining information that could be associated with the real situation.
This study adopted the descriptive research style or approach since it sought to report on what
exist that is the safety performance of road contractors without influencing the study variables in
anyway.
Research design is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a
science of studying how research is done scientifically. As data and methodology are
interdependent, the methodology to be used for a particular research problem must always take
into consideration the nature of the data that will be collected to resolve the research problem.
The main objective of this research is to explore health and safety management practice in
Ethiopian road construction industry. This chapter discusses the research methodologies and
creates link among the objectives of this research; and the strategies and philosophies adopted for
the study.
3.1 GENERAL METHOD

Both quantitative and qualitative approaches are adopted in evaluating the safety performance of
road construction companies. In order to collect relevant data for this study, the entire work was
clustered in Survey aspects only.
3.1.1. SURVEY DESIGN

Survey design is the main strategy of enquiry used in this paper. The use of survey design
provides a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by
studying a sample of that population in order to generalize from the sample to the population.
The survey design was selected because the researcher wanted to include relatively large number
of participants in the sample for the data to be collected within the limited time and budget. The

survey was conducted by using semi-structured form of Self-administered questionnaire. The

questionnaire is shown in the appendix.
Generally, respondents were selected from road construction companies (ERA & AACRA) that
are taken as a sample frame from whom the sample respondents were selected for the
questionnaire. All of the sites, however, were located in Addis Ababa. All of the questionnaires
were filled by employees in construction sites and having some managerial position (i.e.
Foremen and engineers). Because, most accidents occur in construction sites and the managers at
this level are believed to have good experience and knowledge about health and safety practices
of their companies.
The researcher distributed the questionnaires to them personally. Thus, the sample size for the
survey part was 20 respondents. The researcher believes that this sample size is relatively small
to generalize. However, this sample size is decided based on the time and budget constraints, and
the characteristics of the respondents. Therefore, taking sufficiently large sample becomes
practically impossible in this context.
The questionnaire contains both open - ended and close - ended questions. These questions were
extracted from occupational health and safety standards, good practices and related literature. Of
the total questions, 95 percent were close ended and the remainders were open ended questions.
The close-ended questions were aimed at exploring the existence of certain health and safety
features in the company and measure extent of the features. Therefore, the questions were partly
five- point scale, to rate the level of agreement and disagreement with a given statement and
partly choice among given other types of alternatives. Respondents answered these questions by
ticking on a box or circling the letter of choice.
3.1.2 DATA ANALYSIS METHOD

This research used two types of data analysis methods, to analyze the sample data. The
descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the means of the data collected through the
close-ended questions of the questionnaire. The data collected using observation and open-ended
questions of the questionnaire were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques together

with the results of the descriptive statistics in order to supplement one by the other. Finally,
descriptive statistical analysis methods and SPSS software were used to analyze and present the
data obtained from the questionnaires in a tabular form.
3.2 SPECIFIC PROCIDURES

The first stage was to identify the aim of this research, state the problems and the research
objectives.
The next stage was to carry out extensive literature review on the topic. Comprehensive literature
review on the evaluation tools and the factors affecting safety performance of road contractors
was carried out.
The third Stage involved the questionnaire survey where questionnaires were distributed and
collected from respondents to ascertain their knowledge on the important factors affecting safety
performance.
The final step was to analyze and discuss the results, using the Statistical Package for Social
Sciences, (SPSS) software and thereafter providing the needed conclusions and
recommendations.
3.3 DATA COLLECTION

Data is defined as information obtained in a course of a study. In this study, data was collected
by using structured questionnaires. A structured questionnaire was used in order to capture data
relevant to the very first objective of the study and research questions.

3.4.1 DATA SOURCE

To devise a rational framework or tool for evaluating the safety performance of road contractors
necessitates the establishment of the importance of safety factors in an objective manner as
possible.
The various methods that were used to collect data for this research consist of:
o Primary Data Collection
o Secondary Data Collection
3.4.1.1 SECONDARY DATA

Literature was reviewed through secondary sources like textbooks, electronic journals,
conference papers, reports, newspapers and publications. The internet has been a very useful tool
in collecting data.
3.4.1.2 PRIMARY DATA

The primary data for this study was gathered through questionnaires and personal observations.
Primary Data was collected by the use of printed questionnaire comprising a series of questions
and factors that were submitted to a number of respondents to obtain data on the significant
factors that influences the safety performance of road contractors.
A questionnaire survey was chosen as an appropriate means for soliciting views of various
project participants within a relatively short period. When developing the questionnaire, safety
factors identified through previous studies were duly considered.

CHAPTER FOUR
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The main objective of this study is to assess health and safety management practices in the Road
construction industry in Addis Ababa. Accordingly, in this chapter, the results obtained from the
respondents of the questionnaire will be presented and discussed.
The data is collected from employees of Road construction contractors. As presented in table
totally two companies were included in the sample; these are:
 Ethiopian road authority (ERA), and
 Addis Ababa City Road authority (AACRA)
Out of the 25 questionnaires, distributed 20 properly completed questionnaires were returned
back by respondents.
Table 1 Category of companies included in the sample

Company Type No. of Respondents
ERA 9
AACRA 11
Total 20
From the above table 1 indicate that the respondents exists only in two companies (ERA and ACCRA)
and, the number of respondents are 9 and 11 in the company of ERA and ACCRA respectively.
4.1 RESPONDENTS PERSONAL INFORMATION
Table 2 Category of respondents’ occupation

Number of respondents
No Respondents occupation ERA ACCRA
1 Project manager 1 1
2 Engineer 2 2
3 Human resource and Road director - 1
4 Site Engineer 3 2
5 Office Engineer 3 3
6 Junior Engineer - 1
7 Formal - 1

As described the above table 2 there are one project manager, two Engineer, three site Engineer and three
Office Engineers are included from the ERA. Whereas, from the ACCRA there are one Project manager,
two Engineers, one Human resource & Road director, two Site Engineer, One Junior Engineer, One
Forman, and three Office Engineers are included.
Table 3 presents the summary of personal information of respondents. The table also shows
20(100%) of the respondents have first degree and above, and none of the employees have some
level of education related construction. In addition, 1(5%) the employees have worked in the
construction sector for below one year, whereas 17(85%) have worked in between (1-5) years
and the remaining 2(10%) respondents have worked above 5- years. Therefore, the respondents
are likely to have reasonable knowledge of the situation of health and safety in road construction
sector, which increases the reliability of responses.
Table 3 Respondents personal information

Gender M F Total
Frequency 17 3 20
Percent 85% 15% 100%
Educational diploma First degree and above
background
Frequency 20 20
Percent 100% 100%
Year of experience in <1Year 1-5 Year >5year
the construction sector
Frequency 1 17 2 20
Percent 5% 85% 10% 100%
4.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

Numerical values were assigned to each of the survey responses, so that strongly disagree = 1,
disagree = 2, Neutral = 3, agree = 4, and strongly agree = 5. Lower mean scores indicate stronger
disagreement whereas higher mean scores indicate stronger agreement for each of the questions.
The descriptive statistics are presented in Table 4

Table 4 Descriptive statistics

Strongly Disagre Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree e Agree
No
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
1 Hazardous jobs are clearly identified 1 5% 7 35% 2 10% 8 40% 2 10%
and special attention is given by the
company
2 Unsafe jobs will be stopped by safety 2 10% 6 30% 3 15% 8 40% 1 5%
officers when they are found
3 The company gives priority for safety 4 20% 8 40% 3 15% 3 15% 2 10%
as they give priority for profitability
4 The accidents occurred before are 1 5% 11 55% 5 25% 2 10% 1 5%
mainly due to employee's mistake
5 The accidents occurred before are 1 5% 4 20% 4 20% 10 50% 1 5%
mainly due to faulty procedure of work
6 Safety signs are properly put in place 2 10% 9 45% 3 15% 3 15% 3 15%
at the working site
7 The company has a medical insurance 1 5% 4 20% 4 20% 10 50% 1 5%
for all workers
8 Sometimes I have to ignore a safety 0 0% 5 25% 2 10% 10 50% 3 15%
rule or policy in order to complete an
assignment to meet the schedule
9 When workers lose their working 0 0% 2 10% 8 40% 9 45% 1 5%
ability due to occupational accident
they are given Compensation
10 The company conducts regular site 0 0% 10 50% 4 20% 5 25% 1 5%
safety inspections
11 The company provides safety 1 5% 6 30% 11 55% 1 5% 1 5%
orientation for new employees
12 The company provides health and 2 10% 7 35% 5 25% 4 20% 2 10%
safety training to employees regularly
13 First aid materials are available and 3 15% 5 25% 4 20% 6 30% 2 10%
easily accessible in the company
14 The company has a nurse or a doctor 1 5% 3 15% 6 30% 8 40% 2 10%
on staff
The company will take disciplinary 1 5% 8 40% 6 30% 5 25% 0 0%
15 measures on workers who do not
follow safety procedure

35% and 40% of the respondents are disagree and agree respectively, with the claim that hazardous jobs
are clearly identified and special attention have given by the management. It indicates that most of the
companies have identified and special attentions have taken for hazardous jobs, but there are a number of
companies that has not given attention for hazardous jobs. 30% of the respondents disagree that unsafe
jobs will be stopped by safety officers when they are found but 40% of the respondents are agree. While
40% of them are, disagreeing and 15% agree with the statement that the company gives priority for
safety as they give priority for profitability. Only 10% of the respondents are agree and 25% of them are
agree with the statements that accidents occurred before are mainly due to employee's mistake. 50% and
20% of the respondents are agree and disagree respectively with the statement;
Accidents occurred before are mainly due to faulty procedure of work. Concerning, safety signs 45% and
15% of the engineers/foremen disagree and agree respectively, that safety signs are properly put in place
at the working site. 20% disagree but 50% agree that the company has a medical insurance for all
workers; 25% of the respondents disagree and 50% agree but none of them is strongly disagree that
sometimes they have to ignore a safety rule or policy in order to complete an assignment to meet the
schedule. Whereas, 10% disagree and 45% agree but none of them are strongly disagree with the
statement that when workers lose their working ability due to occupational accident they are given
Compensation. When it comes to safety inspection, 50% disagree and 25% agree that regular site safety
inspection is conducted in the company. Similarly, 5% strongly disagree and 30% disagree but 55%
neutral that the company provides safety orientation for new employees.
Concerning the provision of safety training and orientation, 35% disagree and 20% agree with the
statement the company provides health and safety training to employees regularly; Whereas 15%
strongly disagree 25% disagree that first aid kit is available and easily accessible with sufficient materials
in it. With regard to the presence of a designated nurse or a doctor on staff and first aid materials, 5%
strongly disagree and 40% agree that the company has a nurse or a doctor on staff; Similarly, 5% and
40% of the respondents strongly disagree and disagree respectively that the company will take
disciplinary measures on workers who do not follow safety procedure.

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagree Agree
Percentage
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
16 Workers are encouraged to intervene 1 5% 8 40% 3 15% 5 25% 3 15%
when unsafe conditions are observed
17 The company provides and enforces the 2 10% 4 20% 8 40% 4 20% 2 10%
use of safety equipment
18 The company has a designated health and 0 0% 3 15% 4 20% 11 55% 2 10%
safety officer
19 The company has a health and safety 2 10% 5 25% 5 25% 7 35% 1 5%
committee
20 The company has written health and 0 0% 4 20% 5 25% 9 45% 2 10%
safety policy
21 The policy is communicated to all 1 5% 7 35% 5 25% 5 25% 2 10%
concerned parties in the company
22 The company checks or make sure that 1 5% 5 25% 4 20% 9 45% 1 5%
you can do the work safely
23 The company works out all the job /tasks 0 0% 5 25% 5 25% 9 45% 1 5%
that have safety risks
24 The company follows the safe work 0 0% 7 35% 9 45% 3 15% 1 5%
procedures
25 The company has a communication 2 10% 10 50% 4 20% 2 10% 2 10%
system with manager concerning health
and safety
26 Do you report safety incidents? 3 15% 3 15% 0 0% 11 55% 3 15%
27 Are you encouraged to report safety 4 20% 5 25% 2 10% 9 45% 0 0%
incidents?
In the table 5 descriptive statistics shows that, 40% of the respondents disagree with the idea that
workers are encouraged to intervene when unsafe conditions are observed. 10% and 20% of the
respondents strongly disagree and disagree respectively, that the company provides and enforces
the use of safety equipment. None of the respondents strongly disagrees and only 15% disagree
that the company has a designated health and safety officer whereas 55% agree to the statement.
Regarding the existence of health and safety committee in the company, 35% of the employees
agree that there is health and safety committee in the company. It is clear that 20% of the
respondents disagree that their companies have written safety policy and only 45% agree that
their companies have written safety policy. Almost 25% of the respondents agree to the
statement that the policy is communicated to all concerned parties in the company while 5%

strongly disagree and 35% disagree. 45% and 25% of the respondents agree and disagree
respectively with the statement that the company checks or make sure that you can do the work
safely. Whereas, 45% of the respondents are agree and 5% of the respondents are strongly agree
but none of them are disagree and strongly disagree with the idea that the company works out all
the job /tasks that have safety risks.
On the other hand, 35% of the respondent disagrees and 15% agree that the site supervisors
always follow site safety rules and procedures very closely.
50% and 10% of the respondents are disagree and agree respectively and 10%s are strongly
agree that the statement; the company has a communication system with manager concerning
health and safety.
Regarding the question, “Do you report safety incidents?” 55% and 15% of the respondent are
agree and disagree respectively.
Whereas 45% of the respondents are agree and 25% of the respondents are disagree with the
question, “Are you encouraged to report safety incidents?”
Health and safety management issues in road construction projects;

Exposures of workers to high risks in operation of quarries, borrow pits, metal crushers etc.
where workers are exposed to hazards of frequent and heavy lifting, noise and vibration,
hazardous substances such as oil, gas, hydraulic fluid, welding fumes, heavy vehicle operation,
working in blasting faces, clearing operations, slips, trips and falls, being struck by falling
objects, dust, sources of noise, electrical hazards etc. In asphalting areas, workers are exposed to
high temperatures and polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHC), which are carcinogenic and
could lead in to eye irritation, nasal and throat irritation, lower respiratory tract symptoms,
pulmonary function changes and bronchitis. Working in excavated areas is prone to collapse of
slopes.


No A B C D E
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
28 What are the most common 0 0% 2 10% 8 40% 0 0% 10 50%
accidents that occur frequently
at construction sites?
29 What is the main problem of 9 45% 0 0% 1 5% 0 0% 10 50%
companies on the
implementation of the OHS at
the work place?
30 What are the main causes of 0 0% 2 10% 3 15% 3 15% 12 60%
accidents at construction sites?
Based on Table 6 the most common accidents that occur frequently at construction sites are foot
and hand injuries caused by accidents rather than falling and collision of vehicles (40%), falling
(0%), and collision of vehicles (10%) but all are common because, (50%) of the respondents are
selected all choices. In addition, the main problems of companies on implementation of the OHS
at the work place are Lack of awareness (45%), and inappropriateness (5%) but all are the
problems because (50%) of the respondents are selected all alternatives but, the researchers can
conclude that the level of awareness of the workers in the road construction industry for the
implementation of OHS at work place is very low.

50
E) All
0
D) Hits on the head
40
C) Foot and hand injuries
10
B) Collision of vhicles
0
A) Falling
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Figure 2 The most common accidents

Lack of awareness(45%)
Negligence(0%)
Inappropriateness(5%)
Incurring unnecessary
cost(0%)
All(50%)
Figure 3 The main problem of companies for implementation of H&S practice
Negligence(0%)
Poor working conditions(10%)
Lack of knowledge on
H&S(15%)
Lack of persenal protective
equipment(15%)
All(60%)
Figure 4 The main cause of accidents
According to the respondents answer the main causes of accidents at construction sites are Lack
of knowledge on Health and safety (15%) followed by lack of personal protective equipment
(PPE)(15%) but (60%) of the respondents are described that, all are the cause of accidents

CHAPTER FIVE
5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 CONCLUSION
The study identified the following health and safety management issues in road construction
projects. Exposures of workers to high risks in operation of quarries, borrow pits, metal crushers
etc. where workers are exposed to hazards of frequent and heavy lifting, noise and vibration,
hazardous substances such as oil, gas, hydraulic fluid, welding fumes, heavy vehicle operation,
working in blasting faces, clearing operations, slips, trips and falls, struck by, being struck by
falling objects, hand-arm-whole body vibration, dust, sources of noise, electrical hazards etc. In
asphalting areas, workers are exposed to high temperatures and polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHC), which are carcinogenic and could lead in to eye irritation, nasal and
throat irritation, lower respiratory tract symptoms, pulmonary function changes and bronchitis.
Working in excavated areas is prone to collapse of slopes.
It is found that the level of awareness for occupational health and safety practices in the Addis
Ababa road construction industry is very poor. Similarly, the level implementation of health and
safety standards and policies by the construction companies is very weak. Very little training and
orientation on OHS is given to employees, though training is a crucial aspect of OHS. Most of
the construction companies do not have OHS components like written safety policy, safety
officer, health and safety committee, hazard identification and reporting program, and properly
placed safety signs. However, among the good features, according to the engineers/foremen
many of the companies provide medical insurance and Compensation for occupational accident
to workers. In addition significant portion of the companies maintain proper first aid kit and a
health-trained person on staff.
Lack of knowledge on Health and safety and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) are the
main cause of accidents in construction industry. On the other hand, foot and hand injuries,
exposure to heat, exposure to electricity and exposure to harmful substances, as well as falling
from heights are the more frequently occurring types of accidents in the industry.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
As the problem of safety on road project sites should not be left to one party only, it is in general
recommended that all parties involved should contribute their respective parts for the
enhancement of safety in and around construction sites in the future. Therefore, the following
specific recommendations are forwarded with hope that they would contribute to the
improvement of safety in the road projects to come.
A. Consultants were found giving less attention to the safety matters incorporated in the
contract. So they should follow safety issues indicated in the contract and assure the
implementation. They should also have safety manual at construction site and follow it.
In addition, they should adequately report on the number, effects, etc. of accidents
occurred in their progress reports.
B. The client (ERA and ACCRA) has a general responsibility and obligation to the social
and economical issues of the society around and near construction sites. Therefore, it is
recommended that ERA and ACCRA should do the following:
1. Implement international safety rules and regulations in road projects.
2. Make adequate allowance for road safety in the Bill of Quantities by letting the
Contractor price fully or allowing a contingency sum for safety.
3. Request and follow-up the detail safety program of Contractor during bidding.
4. Have a responsibility to prepare a supervisory safety manual for occupational safety
purpose as it did for traffic safety.
5. Give attention to status of safety issues from the progress reports.
C. To prevent or minimize accidents, the Contractor should have a strict safety regulations
and detail safety program applicable to the specific project. The Contractor should also
assure the implementation of the following:
 All workers should wear highly visible garments with retro-reflective marks.
 Experienced and trained workers should supervise inexperienced personnel.
 Only trained workers should set out signs.

 Avoid working at unsafe speed, loading beyond capacity and adapting unsafe
procedures.
 Reversing of vehicles should be avoided unless guidance of back man is there.
 Vehicle and plant color should meet visibility requirement.
 Unstable debris and land mass should be removed.
 Use protective guards for excavators and loaders.
 All operators should be well trained and skillful to understand the requirements of
the manuals of equipment and machinery they operate
D. The entire Contractor‟s staff and the road users should cooperate in following the safety
regulations for work sites. In particular, they should:
 Avoid drug and alcohols should be avoided prior to work.
 Equipment operators should make sure that they are physically and mentally ready
for work and remain alert especially during the operation of construction equipment
and machinery.
E. Finally, Debreberhan University Institute of technology department administration should

fund the budget to the researcher needed for collecting the data from the place where
large number of construction projects are existed. It is used for increasing the sample size
to get excess information about the findings and to be the research a problem solver.
 Further research on Health and Safety Management in road construction projects are
suggested to improve the health and safety of the workers engaged in road construction work.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. National safety council 4th edition, (1973); supervisory safety manual
2. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2010).
3. Geller, E.S. (2001).The Psychology of Safety Hand book. Lewis Publishers, New York.
JUORNALS
1. Kheni, N. A. (2008) „Impact of health and safety management on safety performance of small
and medium-sized construction businesses in Ghana, PhD thesis, Department of Civil
Engineering, Lough borough University, UK.
2. Pouliakas, K, Theodossiou, (2010), ―An Inquiry into the Theory, Causes and Consequences of
Monitoring Indicators of Health and Safety at Work‖, Cussion Paper Series, Discussion Paper No.
4734, ZurZukunftder Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn.
3. International Labour Office (ILO) (1995), Safety, health and welfare on construction sites: A
training manual‖ Geneva, Netherlands.
4. Ethiopian Roads Authority (2004), Draft of Road Safety Audit Manual
5. Initial Environmental Examination Report, Northern Road Connectivity Project (2012), Road
Development Authority, Sri Lanka.
WEBSITES
1. (http://www.google.com.et/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=prevention)
2. (http://www.google.com.et/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=prevention%20of%20accident%20construction
3. http://www.hrdpidrm. in/e5783/e17327/e24075/e27340/index_eng.html
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety
5. http://www.nou.edu.ng/noun/NOUN_OCL/pdf/pdf2/CSS%20342%20Safety%20Management%2
0for%20 Loss% 20Prevention.pdf
6. http://www.amazon.com/CONDITION-WORK-ETHIOPIA-Relationship-Construction
7. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.html
8. http://www.resource4constructionsiteaccidents.com

APPENDIX
Questionnaire
Section 1: General information

Focus of the questionnaire is to assess the Health and Safety Management status of road
construction projects in Ethiopian. Your cooperation in completing this questionnaire is greatly
appreciated and your response will be treated confidentially and used for academic purpose only.
Date: Name of Company:
Name of the Project: Location:
Name of Respondent: Gender of Respondent:
Occupation:
Educational background: ❏High school diploma ❏University diploma
❏University degree and above
How many years have you worked in the construction sector? ---------------------------

Section 2: Questions
Numerical values were assigned to each of the survey responses, so that:
Strongly disagree = 1, Disagree = 2, Neutral = 3, agree = 4, and strongly agree = 5
No
Disagree
Strongly
Strongly
disagree
Neutral
Agree
agree
1 Hazardous jobs are clearly identified and special attention is given by the company
2 Unsafe jobs will be stopped by safety officers when they are found
3 The company gives priority for safety as they give priority for profitability
4 The accidents occurred before are mainly due to employee's mistake
5 The accidents occurred before are mainly due to faulty procedure of work
6 Safety signs are properly put in place at the working site
7 The company has a medical insurance for all workers
8 Sometimes I have to ignore a safety rule or policy in order to complete an
assignment to meet the schedule
9 When workers lose their working ability due to occupational accident they are
compensation
10 The company conducts regular site safety inspections
11 The company provides safety orientation for new employees
12 The company provides health and safety training to employees regularly
13 First aid materials are available and easily accessible in the company
14 The company has a nurse or a doctor on staff
15 The company will take disciplinary measures on workers who do not follow safety
procedure
16 Workers are encouraged to intervene when unsafe conditions are observed
17 The company provides and enforces the use of safety equipment
18 The company has a designated health and safety officer
19 The company has a health and safety committee
20 The company has written health and safety policy
21 The policy is communicated to all concerned parties in the company
22 The company checks or make sure that you can do the work safely.
23 The company works out all the job/tasks that have safety risks.
24 The company follows the safe work procedures.
25 The company has a communication system with Manager concerning health and
safety.
26 Do you report safety incidents?
27 Are you encouraged to report safety incidents?

Section 3: Questions
28. What are the most common accidents that occur frequently at Road construction sites?
A. Falling
B. Collision of vehicles
C. Foot and hand injuries
D. Hits on the head
E. All
F. Others specify------------------------
29. What is the main problem of companies on the implementation of the H&S at the work
place?
A. Lack of awareness
B. Negligence
C. Inappropriateness
D. Incurring unnecessary cost
E. All
F. Others specify----------------------
30. What are the main causes of accidents at Road construction sites?
A. Negligence
B. Poor working conditions/environment
C. Lack of knowledge on H&S
D. Lack of personal protective equipment
E. All
F. Others specify-----------------------------------
31. What are the health and safety issues prevailing in road construction projects?

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DEBRE BERHAN UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate studies in partial fulfillment of

Department Of Construction Technology And Management i

Department Of Construction Technology And Management ii

TABLE OF CONTENT .................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF TABLE ...............................................................................................................................v

LIST OF FIGURE ............................................................................................................................ vi

LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. viii

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 1

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................................... 3

1.3. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................... 4

1.4 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................. 5

1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................... 5

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 5

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY...................................................................................................... 6

1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER ............................................................................................ 6

2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................7

2.1. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ........................................7

2.2. NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY ............................................. 8

2.3 ACCIDENTS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ................................................................10

2.4 SAFETY IN ROAD PROJECTS .......................................................................................... 12

2.5 HEALTH HAZARD ............................................................................................................ 17

Department Of Construction Technology And Management iii

2.7 GENERAL SAFETY RULES FOR CONSTRUCTION ......................................................... 21

2.8 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION .......................................................................................... 22

2.9 HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL ....................................................................... 22

2.10 TOTAL SAFETY CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY................................... 25

2.11 COMPENSATING WAGE DIFFERENTIALS FOR JOB DISAMENITIES ........................ 27

2.12 PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ......................................... 27

2.13 THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ............................... 29

CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................................................... 33

3.1 GENERAL METHOD ........................................................................................................ 33

3.2 SPECIFIC PROCIDURES .................................................................................................. 35

3.3 DATA COLLECTION........................................................................................................ 35

CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................... 37

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .............................................................................................. 37

4.1 RESPONDENTS PERSONAL INFORMATION ................................................................. 37

4.2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS ............................................................................................. 38

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................. 46

5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 46

5.1 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 46

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................... 47

Department Of Construction Technology And Management iv

Table 1 Category of companies included in the sample ...................................................................... 37

Department Of Construction Technology And Management v

Figure 1 Classification of accidents................................................................................................... 14

Department Of Construction Technology And Management vi

AACRA...................................................................Addis Ababa City Road Authority

Department Of Construction Technology And Management vii

Department Of Construction Technology And Management viii

1.1 BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY

Department Of Construction Technology And Management 1

The consequence of these accidents:

Department Of Construction Technology And Management 2

Successful implementation of the system requires management commitment to the system,

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT