APPLICATION OF SAFETY PROGRAM ELEMENT TO RISK MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS IN CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

With the rapid development of economic and technology in Nigeria, structural forms are becoming more and more complicated, which requires more rigorous construction technology and construction management. However, the risk management in our country is still in its infancy, and managers are short of awareness of risks and lack of ability to manage risks. Despite recent efforts to improve site safety, construction still accounts for a disproportionate number of occupational related fatalities. Study on risk management methods mode of conventional construction process shows that only relying on the qualitative analysis by perfecting manage system and engineering experience cannot satisfy the construction requirement of the complicated structures. This study used quantitative method to assess risk and then develop strategies to manage it. It is such that risks with the greatest loss and the greatest probability of occurring are handled first, and risks with lower probability of occurrence and lower loss are handled in descending order; though in practice the process can be very difficult. This paper applied this method of risk management to Agbani, Rangers Avenue, Desala and Mkpokiti road constructed by ARAB contractors in Enugu State. This was done by using safety equilibrium model to compare results of the four projects with respect to application / ability of these safety program elements to the construction project. Twelve, fourteen, fifteen and seventeen safety program elements were applied in Agbani, Rangers Avenue, Desala and Mkpokiti and and safety risk demand obtained were 112.3 work-hours per incident per injury, 105.2 work-hours per incident per injury,101.4 work-hours per incident per injury, and 126.4 work-hours per incident per injury respectively. Results of the analysis shows that safety risk capacity obtained at the four sites were 93.23 work-hours per incident per injury, 110 work-hours per incident per injury, 123.2 work-hours per incident per injury, and 132 work-hours per incident per injury respectively. This implies that applying a higher number of safety program elements will improve site safety and consequently reduce construction risks. It is concluded that most of the risk prevalent problem in construction industry which led to casualties and fatalities are preventable if the risks in the construction are well known at the earlier stage of construction.