Abstract
Construction industry remains the dangerous industry in the world, due to the nature of work and the working environment which exposes workers to different types of hazards and occupational accidents. Construction workers are also at risk of developing occupational related health conditions due to the exposure to occupational hazards. A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study was conducted to collect the data regarding occupational health and safety status in the construction industry. Data was collected with questionnaires developed based on the literatures and the World Health Organization Healthy workplace model. The study found out that the provision of occupational health and safety in the Windhoek construction industry is in poor status. Furthermore, construction work is mainly for male, young workers aged between 18 to 29 years. The mean age is 31.48 years. The study results also indicated that occupational hazards are prevalent in the construction industry. Nevertheless, most participants indicated that occupational accidents are not common in the construction sites. The study recommended the development of practical guidelines to improve the occupational health and safety status in the construction industry. The recommended guidelines should be implemented in all construction sites.
Highlights
The study results indicated that occupational hazards are prevalent in the construction industry
This finding is consistent with several demographic data about the construction industries such as that found in Hong Kong [8], as well as the demographic data evident in Watts [30] study on women managers in the UK construction industry and that by [31] examining workers’ alcohol use in male-dominated industries in Australia, which all underscore that the construction industry is male dominated
The study was aimed at investigating the OHS status in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia using a questionnaire
Summary
The construction industry offers hazardous and dangerous occupations, which expose construction workers to several hazards and risks [2] such as asbestos, lead, vibration, silica dust, dust and noise [3]. [4] note that the construction industry’s hazards cause financial losses and personal injuries which may affect the health status of construction workers and the duration of the construction project. The unfortunate situations of occupational injuries, accidents and diseases affect the productivity and the economic status of the countries in a negative way [4]
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