IOSRJournalofMechanicalandCivilEngineering(IOSR-JMCE)e-ISSN:2278-1684,p-ISSN:2320-334X,Volume11,Issue5Ver.I(Sep-Oct.2014),PP66-72www.iosrjournals.orgwww.iosrjournals.org66|PageCausesandEffectsofAccidentsonConstructionSites(ACaseStudyofSomeSelectedConstructionFirmsinAbujaF.C.TNigeria)KadiriZ.O;NdenT;AvreG.K;OladipoT.O;EdomA:SamuelP.O;AnansoG.NNigeriaBuildingandRoadResearchInstitute(FederalMinistryofScienceandTechnology)Km10,Idirokoroad,p.m.b1055,Ota,Ogunstate.Nigeria.Abstract:AsthegrowthofconstructionindustryblossomsinNigeria,thisalsocausesanincreaseincompetitionofprojectstoexecutebetweenconstructionfirmswhicharehoweverachievedattheexpenseoftheworkerswelfareandtheirsafety.Thereforeidentifyingthevariouscausesandeffectofaccidentsonconstructionsitesandproposingwaysandmeansofreducingtheseaccidentsshouldbeacknowledged.Thisstudyexaminesthemajorcausesofaccidentsandsuggestswaysofmitigatingtheseaccidentsonconstructionsites.Adesignedquestionnairewasadministeredanddescriptivestatisticstoolsuchasfrequency,mean,percentageandrelativeimportanceindexwereusedfortheanalysis.ConstructionfirmsinNigeriacanbeclassifiedasMultinationals,LargeScaleindigenousconstructionfirmsandSmallScaleindigenousconstructionfirms.Fromtheresearchnegligenceisthemaincauseofaccidentsonconstructionsites,labourersarealsothemajorvictimsofthesesiteaccidents,lossoftimeinprojectexecutionisthemajoreffectcausedbytheseaccidentsinprojectexecution.Toensuresafetyandtoreducetheoccurrenceofconstructionsiteaccidentstotheminimum,managementofconstructionfirmsmustundertakeandimplementsomeofthecontextofthisstudysuchasimplementationofsafetypolicy,useofsafetyitemsandgears,trainingonsafetymeasuresandaccidentpreventionmethods,ensuringsafeworkingenvironmentandenforcingsafetyrulesetc.KeyWords:BuildingSites,ConstructionFirms,Accidents,Causes,Effects,Safety.I.IntroductionConstructionworkisconsideredtobeoneofthemosthazardousindustrialactivitiesinthecountry.Therateofinjuryintheconstructionindustryishigherthananyotherindustry.Everyyearmanypeoplefallvictimtoinjury,harmandevendeathcausedbyaccidentsonconstructionsites.Controlofaccidentisvitalintheconstructionindustryemployersarerequiredtoaccessriskandtakepracticalmeasurestoprotect,ensuresafetyandhealthoftheirworkers,minimizingriskbymeansofcontinuoussurveillanceandmonitoringofwhereaccidentsarelikelytooccurOdetoyinboO.A(1986).Lucyetal(1999)viewsaccidentasanunplannedandunexpectedoccurrencewhichupsetsaplannedsequenceofworkresultingtolossofproduction,injurytopersonnel,damagetoplantandequipmentandeventuallyinterruptingproductionflow.O.S.H.A(2005)ascertainedthatthereareatleast60,000fatalaccidentsonconstructionsitesannuallyaroundtheworld,thefatalinjuryratefortheconstructionindustryishigherthannationalaverageamongindustriesworldwide.JaselskisandSuazo(1994)demonstratedasubstantiallackofawarenessorimportanceforsafetyatalllevelsoftheconstructionindustry.Inaddition,LauferandLedbetter(1986)assessedvarioussafetymeasures.Someresearchersexaminedcostsofconstructionaccidentstoemployers(LeopoldandLeonard,1987;LevittandSamelson,1993).Accidentspreventionhasbecomeincreasinglyimportantaspectwhichcouldbeamajorcauseofconcernintheconstructionindustrythereforeanyefforttoidentifyandexplorepossiblewaysofpreventingandcontrollingaccidentsshouldbesoughtafter,hencetheneedforthestudy.ObjectivesTheobjectivesofthestudyaretoidentifyor...
