Assessing Barriers and Facilitators to Adoption of Design for Safety by Construction Organisations in Nigeria
Abstract
Reactive construction safety measures are becoming increasingly criticised for their poor bearings on construction accident hazards. Conversely, Design for Safety (DfS) is a proactive measure, proven to have improved on the state of construction Health and Safety performances. Studies, however, show that the adoption of DfS in developing countries to be poor. This study thus assessed the barriers and facilitators to the successful adoption of DfS by construction organizations in Nigeria. A quantitative research approach was used, collecting data via structured questionnaires administered to construction organisations. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation). The study found ‘Client interest in the use of DfS in their projects’, ‘Top Management support and commitment’ and ‘Government policy via legislation’ to be the most important facilitators for adopting Design for Safety in the Nigerian construction industry. While ‘More satisfied clients', 'Shorter construction periods' and, 'Better construction and maintenance safety' were the most important benefits of adopting Design for Safety in the Nigerian construction industry. With regards to barriers, the study found 'Other project objectives given higher priority by project stakeholders', 'The predominant use of the traditional project delivery method' and 'Absence of collaboration between designers and contractors' to be the essential contractual related barriers to the adoption of Design for Safety in the Nigerian construction industry. The study concludes that barriers that hamper the successful adoption of the DfS practice pose as risks that will continue to prevent successful adoption of DfS through the effective use of the facilitators for the adoption of Design for Safety in the Nigerian construction industry. The study recommends that government should also provide a more enabling environment by enacting policies and legislation that will guide and ease the implementation of Design for Safety and focus attention on client interest, top management commitment and support, and government policy via legislation