HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT ON SAFETY PRACTICES ON

VERTICAL STRUCTURES IN SELECTED CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN CAGAYAN

DE ORO

A Research Proposal

Submitted To

Civil Engineering Department

College of Engineering and Architecture

University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

Cagayan de Oro City

In Partial Fulfillment To

The Requirements In

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Submitted By

BABAISON, DAPNE V.

GEMINA, LOUISSE MAY T.

JAVIER, JENNIFER D.

PILOTON, JEFF CLARK M.

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The health and safety measures is an inevitable component of

construction due to its nature of being made up of various people from

diverse backgrounds and disciplines with each individual`s output

determining the level of success to be recorded at each construction

stage (Dodo,2014). The sector of Occupational Safety and Health has

been a component of construction industry that is greatly expose to the

accidents and hazards. For these reasons, an effective implementation

and execution of safety program and appropriate Safety and Health

Management Compliance System must be taken into account in order

to create a safety culture.

Through reliable records, studies had obtained cases where the

most alarming criteria on the health and safety is the construction

industry due to its unacceptable high rate injury (Cheng et al., 2012;

Choudhry and Fang, 2008). In order to resolve the glitch on risk and

subsequent injuries, there has been an attempt generated by the

construction industry to upgrade its safety performance by

implementing an effective safety rules on site (CRC Construction

Innovation, 2007; Hon et al., 2012). Construction injuries were found to

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have several negative impacts not only on the direct cost of treatment

and compensation but are also link to loss of productivity and low

morale on workers. To avoid completion delays of a certain project,

safety measures and programs have been introduced to mitigate and

lessen adverse health and safety incidents and have even become a

legislative requirement in some countries.

The reasons construction is risky and prone to health and safety risks

are because of the physical environment of the work, nature of the

work operations in construction , construction methods, construction

materials, heavy equipment used, and substantial assets of the

construction project itself. The alarming injury and fatality rates that are

related to the hazards and risks of the construction industry. These

construction works are working around mobile plant and live traffic,

working at height, and working services in underground and above

ground (Hoonakker et al., 2005; Gittleman et al., 2010; Biggs et al., 2013).

The main health and safety site requirements in construction relate

to tidy sites and decent welfare, 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 (HSE, 2009). The main personal protective

equipment (PPE) in construction (including clothing affording

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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 health or safety. PPE should be regarded as a ‘last resort’ when

considering control measures. Other methods should be considered

and used that will reduce or eliminate risk to injury. However, where PPE

is the only effective means of controlling the risks of injury or ill health,

then employers must ensure that PPE is available. PPE should be worn at

all construction sites. A typical construction site may require workers to

wear a hard hat, coveralls, safety footwear, gloves, eye protection and

high visibility vest. These must be provided to all employees.

In particular, Cagayan de Oro has been a growing metropolis to be

classified as a first-class city here in Mindanao. It has become an

attractive city for investment, such as construction projects. Because of

this the construction projects are rapidly increasing in Cagayan de Oro

as well as other investments. In addition, the construction industry has

changed rapidly over the past years; companies are faced with more

risk and uncertainty than ever before. Clients expect more, most

importantly, they do not want surprises, and are more likely to engage

in litigation when things go wrong, these things make the project

managers in Cagayan de Oro to think more about the relationship

between these new risks and uncertainties and the success of the

project they are managing and forced them to ask “Does operational
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management on safety and health impacts the success of construction

projects?”.

It was found out that 25-40% of mortality in the world are attributable

to serious safety and health risks in the industry of construction of nation

building (ILO 2005). Other research conducted in developing countries

corroborates evidence of this relatively high proportion of accidents on

construction sites (ILO 2001, Murie 2007).

Most companies in developed countries design their safety

programs following OSHA standards however the main challenge

remains to ensure that management and supervisory personnel are

committed enough to enforce these guidelines and to provide

adequate training to workers and educate them about the importance

of safe working conditions (Abduyyeh et al., 2006). It is important to

realize that a safety program’s success lies in the involvement of all

concerned parties: the contractor, the owner, the designer, and the

workers. Designers have a role in construction safety by including safety

considerations in design details and specifications, ensuring

contractor’s submittals provide for worker’s safety, and inspecting

construction sites for safety (Toole et al., 2005). Contractors constitute a

key element in providing a safe jobsite through implementing safe

construction techniques, providing personal protective equipment,

training workers and supervisors on site, and improving their safety

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practices through injury record keeping and learning from previous

experiences.

Despite the obvious need to administer health and safety

proactively, some organizations do not give it the priority it deserves. This

may be due to lack of knowledge, skills and motivation, or to limited

staff resources. Cost is also an important issue, with companies feeling

that they lack the capital necessary to make proper investment of

having a reliable safety program and failing to appreciate the necessity

of this investment. Similarly, there is a lack of understanding in terms of

investment on the health and safety in some companies that there

are measurable outcomes that might affect its organization. This is

partly due to the challenges inherent in establishing exactly the

effectiveness of the Occupational Health and Safety Management

(OSHM) is related to organizational performance.

1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this research stems primarily from an

underlying theme regarding health and safety; to develop an

understanding of its structure within a construction environment.

This study will help the management and workers of the

selected construction firms to have access to health and safety needs

at their workplace. It imparts awareness of Cagayan de Oro’s large to

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medium sized construction businesses about the relevance of safety on

site, the common types of injuries, the adopted safety standards, the

role of managers and employees in monitoring safety practices, and

the construction industry’s promotion of having a safety environment.

Accordingly, the results of this research may help the

managers to better evaluate their safety practices and to better

respond to any type of safety and health implications, which can

positively influence industry professionals and convince them of the

necessity of a safe construction site.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What are the most common hazards in vertical constructions?

2. Where is risk dominant amongst the three types of vertical

construction?

3. How do hazards affect the performance of the workers?

4. What are the main safety management practices adopted by

the selected Cagayan de Oro construction businesses (Makati

Development Corporation, Jejors’ Construction and small scaled

contractors) to control the risks on construction sites?

1.4 OBJECTIVES

The principle aim of this research is to give a general overview of the

current state of safety practices in the selected construction companies

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in Cagayan de Oro, and to assess where risks are most likely dominant

either in high, medium or low rise construction through comparative

analysis.

In order to achieve the above mentioned aim, the following

objectives were set:

a)To determine where risks are dominant in terms of the

vertical construction.

b)To identify the hazards and safety issues in the selected

construction sites.

c)To determine the safety management practices

adopted by construction businesses.

d)To find out how the adopted safety practices affect the

duties and responsibilities of stakeholders such as the

contractor, the client and workers.

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study is delineated to the identification of hazards and

assessment of safety practices and needs of workers in the selected

construction companies in Cagayan de Oro. It primarily concentrates

on vertical constructions which comprise low, middle and high rise

buildings within the surrounding area of Cagayan de Oro. An analysis of

this study was made solely on various workforces conducted with

several project managers, contractors, safety officers and construction

 8

workers practicing in the market today. A qualitative survey is employed

in this study conducted through interviews based on a questionnaire.

The study could have covered the entire construction

companies throughout Cagayan de Oro; however, owing to time

constraints the study was limited to the selected organizations that

operate large and medium-sized construction businesses. The study also

excludes the hazard and safety practices in horizontal constructions for

it overlays vertical constructions only.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Health

Health is the process of protecting the minds and bodies of

people against illness as a result of the mishandling of materials,

procedures and processes involved in the workplace.

Safety

Safety involves the process of protecting people against

physical injury. Health and safety are normally used together to show

worry for the mental and physical health of the individuals at work

Accident

The HSE asserts that an accident refers to any unforeseen

event that injures people or damages their health. It also refers to any

damage or loss to property, materials, business prospect or the

environment (HSE, 2014)

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Risk

Risk can be generally defined as the likelihood of losing

something valuable. Such valuable things may include social status,

wealth, or physical wellbeing and health. Such values can be gained or

lost depending on the type of risk taken by a person. Risk can also be

referred to as the intentional approach to dealing with uncertainty.

Hazard

A Hazard refers to the likelihood of an activity, substance,

process or person causing harm to another person, or anything of value.

Construction

Construction refers to the clearing, dredging, excavating and

grading of land and other activity associated with buildings, structures

or other types of real property such as bridges, dams, roads.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

PPE refers to any protective clothing or equipment that is use to

protect the wearer’s body from any injury or infection. Protective

equipment such as helmet, goggles, and other protective garments are

commonly use in the construction site.

Contractor

Independent entity that agrees to furnish certain number of

quantity of goods, material, equipment, personnel, and/or services that

meet or exceed stated requirements or specifications at a mutually

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agreed upon price and within a specified timeframe to another

independent entity called project owner.

OSHS (Occupational Safety and Health Standard)

It is an agency under the Department of labor of the US

government that is responsible of ensuring safe, healthful and amiable

work environment.
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Vertical Structures

In the Senate Economic Planning Office (2012) states that

micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have a very important

role in developing the Philippine economy. These roles create jobs for

the growing labor force of the country, stimulate economic

development in rural ares, serve as valuable partners to large enterprise

and serve as a breeding ground for new entrepreneurs and large

corporations. The MSME in the in the Philippines is defined as any

business activity or enterprise engaged in industry, agri-business and/or

services that has: (1) an asset size (less land) of up to PhP100 million; and

(2) an employment size with less than 200 employees. Based on these

categories, it is classified as micro, small or medium regardless of the

type of business ownership (i.e., single proprietorship, cooperative,

partnership or corporation).

As of 2010, there were a total of 777,687 business enterprises in

the Philippines. Of this figure, MSMEs represented 99.6 percent with

774,664 establishments while large enterprises represented 0.4 percent

with 3,023 establishments. Micro enterprises comprised 91.6 percent

(709,899) of the total number of MSMEs while small and medium

 12

enterprises accounted for 8 percent (61,979) and 0.4 percent (2,786),

respectively.

Overall, 49.7 percent of MSMEs are engaged in the

wholesale/retail trade and repair services with 384,746 business

establishments while 14.4 percent (111,366) and 12.5 percent (96,989)

are in the manufacturing and hotels/restaurants industries, respectively

(Figure 1). MSMEs in real estate, renting and business activities represent

6.1 percent (47,569), and those involved in other community, social and

personal service activities account for 5.7 percent (44,209). Other

MSMEs (11.6%) are engaged in health and social work (31,547);

financial intermediation (26,350); education (13,930); transport storage

and communications (9,010); agriculture, hunting and forestry (3,829);

construction (2,292); electricity, gas and water (1,307); fishing (1,126);

and mining and quarrying (394).

Risk and Hazard

(Hamid and Singh, 2003) listed the most common hazards at

construction sites through the literature review namely: scaffold, power

access equipment, ladder, roof work, manual handling, plant and

machinery, excavation, fire and emergency, hazardous substances,

noise, protective clothing and protecting the public The results of

analysis generally shown that construction sites within the study area

have a common hazards that are not being well taken care of which
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had a high exposure to the workers at sites such as: (1) Protective

clothing was ranked 2 which demarcate that extensive works or effort

require to achieve the satisfactory specification. Frequency of this

hazard is very high which is 134 out of 140 sites, (2) Noise was also

ranked 2 with frequency 134 out of 140 sites, and (3) Fire and

emergency hazards was ranked 2 as well but with a frequency 118 out

of 140 sites. There are circumstances wherein there is a need of notable

development in order to follow the standard safety and health

practices on the construction sites. It was observed that most of the

project site workers within the scope of study had a low level of

awareness toward using the personal protective equipment. Even for

the employer, the supply for this equipment is seen to be quite

inadequate compare to the quantity of workers at sites.

As the countries are developing, the construction industry

became a relevant part of the economic growth.

Due to its nature, the industry provides opportunities for employment for

a wide array of people whether skilled, unskilled or semi-skilled. The

study’s results show that contractors have the responsibility of managing

the risk and that it is only carried out only during construction phase. The

study’s findings also showed that no systematic method was employed

for risk assessment and that risks are evaluated based on individual

judgment guided by experience, educational background and existing

 14

regulations. The study conducted in Tanzania showed that the risk

management systems applied in constructions sites are not that reliable

and dependable. There is a need for creation of a more systematic

approach that combines an experienced individual’s judgment and

application of a holistic approach which consider all the phases in

construction such as design, procurement and construction.

The result of the adequate safety management encountered

major losses not just financial but also human losses in the Jordanian

construction. The objective of this study is to assess the safety

programs exercised in Jordan and collected 70 general contractors

data who are involved in all types of construction. Furthermore, the

involvement of the safety management of the Jordanian construction

sector confided numerous factors.

The paper presented a list on how to improve contractor’s

safety performance in the construction:

• Have a proper administration that organizes safety policy;

• Indulging the workers in formal safety training;

• Conduct safety talks daily;

• Supervise formal safety meetings at the project level weekly;

• Constantly secure a job site where it has a safety protection

procedure
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• Always provide PPE to their workers and encouraging them to

always make use of it;

• Have safety signage and posters at the work site;

• Conduct safety inspections weekly ;

• Giving rewards for having a good safety behavior and

penalizing for unsafe behaviour of the workers

• Reducing labor turnover rates to less than 25%; and

• Complying the 1996 Labor Law, Article 85 that sets the

requirements of safety committees and minimum number of safety

personnel.

The ministry of Labor, Ministry of Public Works and Housing and

OSH advised to combine forces to help improve the safety

performance of the construction industry in Jordan. These advises are

the following:

• Drafting new safety regulations for the administration of safety

that signifies the limitations of the existing regulations and the new ones

should be more comprehensive and should particularly target the

construction industry;

• Develop a safety culture wherein recognizing the

performance of the contractor in the construction industry.

• Evaluate the criteria of public bidding where it considers

safety performance.
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Cause of accidents

In Manase, D.L., Mahdjoubi, et.al., each year an average of

150 deaths and 20,000 injuries on construction are reported to the

Health and Safety Administration. Taking this into account, the

construction industry is classified as having the poorest safety records.

Accidents tends to uphold despite of having legislative provisions and

guidelines. The causes of accidents may be known but the factors

behind the cause of the said accident is still deficient. There was a time

in Britain where there were over 1500 people killed and 25,000-30,000

are seriously injured on the construction sites. As a result, Raymond

(1995) articulated that the construction industry's safety record

continues to be poor. He then featured some several factors of the

accidents' causation: (1) Lack of supervision by the line managers, an

issue that involves the remote management on the construction sites.

The presence of sub-contractors and self employed labour that instead

to guide a proper management led to problems of the management

and control (2)Custom and practice in the Industry, the absence of

accustoming the workers with the literacy of identifying danger and

steps to protect themselves in the construction sites, and (3) Lack of

coordination, when collaboration of the members of the professional

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team at pre-construction stage is lacking will uphold a contributing

factor to accidents.

Ali, A.S., Kamaruzzman, S.N., Sing, G.C.(2010) studied that

Buildings and infrastructures either commercial or domestic are

provided by the dynamic and innovative industry of construction.

Accidents are not just a result of an injury but it also events like

damaging tools and materials. But most of the people only focuses on

the physical injuries instead the totality of the damage. Accidents were

merely caused by the lack of safety awareness from the higher ups,

lack of training and certified skill labor, and the organizational

commitment. Some of the primary causes of accidents are as follows:

(1) Using Defective Equipment, a very unsafe action that may lead to a

direct cause of injuries to the workers when using defective equipment

and tools, (2) Failure to Use Personal Protective equipment (PPE),

increased a higher probability of undesirable injuries when working in

the construction site without wearing any personal protective

equipment, (3) Human factor, there are workers who are working in the

influence of alcohol or drugs that might affect their way of working and

thinking that might affect their own critical thinking and (4) Poor Site

Management, improper housekeeping in the construction site that

would be risky to the workers during construction processes.

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Hui Liy et. al. (2016) resolved that from the investigations on the types of

fall accidents on sites, the most dangerous type are roof and

scaffolding falls. It was likewise found out that barriers in communication

is a cause for this type of accident. The causes of the falls could be

associated with the employees’ negligence, laxity in terms of following

proper work techniques, working in elevated height, maneuvering

equipment without employing safety apparatus, mediocre safety

management, disregard of the use of PPE and insignificant attitude of

employees about safety. Several contributory factors on fall hazards

were also determined which includes: vague transfer of information,

linguistic barriers may it be reading, writing and speaking, and

unsatisfactory interaction between employees and safety officers. As

established on the study, the most efficient means of reducing fall

hazards on site is through rigorous inspection. It can help reduce by

carrying out activities such as: running weekly inspection and creation

of a list which considers the employees, materials, working environment

and the supervision on site. Hence, the mentioned activities warrant the

workers’ improved productivity and execution of work.

Effects of Accidents

The group of Alinaitwe, Henry., Mwakali, J.A. & Hansson,

Bengt (2007) concluded that the construction has more accidents and

one of the least safe industries. These accidents are resulting in financial
 19

loses, injuries, disabilities and deaths and that is most likely similar to the

situation in Uganda. The most recent severe construction incident that

happened was the collapse of a hotel at Bwebajja on September 1,

2004 that killed 11 people and 26 were severely injured. Problems like

accidents occurred due to the differences of the site and the

environment in the working place. These problems are either due to the

lack of knowledge or training, lack of supervision, or due to the

carelessness of the human. The study undertook to obtain and examine

the reported data from the labour Offices and Accidents Registers

around the country of Uganda during the period of 2001-2005. from its

statistics it was found out that the annual averages were 54 cases on

building sites, 103 cases on the construction sites including building and

384 for all industries construction inclusive. The commonly accident that

happened was caused by “hit by object” and it is approximately 50.2

percent of all the accidents during the period.

According to Asanka, W.A., & Ranasinghe, M.(2015,

December), the construction industry is a hazardous environment

because it accidents occurred in different severity. Aside from the

human cost, Accidents can also cause delays in the construction and

sometimes can ruin the reputation of the organization. Additional costs

will then be added to the employer like tangible cash for medical,

insurance and compensation. There is a study that based on the

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Australian construction industry that revealed that the larger projects

has a safer place for the employees compared to the smaller or limited

scope projects. Small and medium projects has a 79.5% of risk and is

higher compared to the larger projects that is only 20.5%. It was

concluded that the main cause of construction accidents are due to

the humans. For that reason, there should be an enhancement of how

the workers view the safety practices and performance in the field.

There is an argument by Scipioni et al. (2001) that accidents

at work and occupational injuries are unintended consequences of

production that are intimately linked to the relationship of the worker to

the plant, machinery, materials and substances present in the

workplace, suggests that there is a relationship between work and work

environment/facility. Subsequently, it becomes essential that activities

which not only ensure safe conditions for work but also instill safe

attitude to work are identified, developed and implemented.

This argument suggests that health and safety interventions

should be concerned not only with making the environment and

equipment safe for use, but also with changing the perception and

attitude of workers for whom these facilities have been provided for.

Thus, workplace safety involves technical interventions as well as the

adoption of management, organisational, and training instruments that

can influence risk behaviour (Scipioni et al., 2001), through targeted

 21

intervention aimed at changing how things are done (Robson et al.,

2001).

Safety Practices

Pollack and Chowdhury (2001) stated that over the years, the

construction industry has had among the highest rates of reported

work-related deaths and injuries. With the continuing high work-related

death and injuries, the identification of safety practices may help

reverse these high rates.

In the study of Meltz (2009), his findings recognized five safety

methodologies which provided outstanding safety performance and

they are:

1. The management’s obligation of the contractor’s safety:

Liska et al. (1993) conveyed that as part of management commitment

to contractor safety, all top management down to line supervisors must

express that safety of the workers are to be managed in the same way

as quality, and productivity. In instances wherein commitment is devoid

of, the performance towards safety will most likely be jeopardized.

2. Planning for Safety (before a task or project): before a

project or task even commences, on-site safety programs guarantee

the projects have a safe start and daily tasks are performed with safety

integrated into the daily work routine (Hinze, 2002).

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3. Worker involvement: As part of worker involvement, the

workforce is not only perceived as a resource that should be

safeguarded. Hence, they are viewed as the most appreciated asset

who provides a contribution in achieving the aim– no mishaps. Such

input on project safety includes the participation on safety committees,

input through safety surveys, and hazard analysis procedures on the

workplace safety (Hinze, 2002).

4. Complete investigations on accidents: As part of the total

investigation of accidents on site, these incidents must be recounted

and reported to the management to identify what caused them in the

first place.

Outcomes of these investigations are imparted to all

employees to avert similar occurrences in the future (Hinze, 2002).

An effective safety program must embrace these to arrive at

the desired goal which is zero accidents. What could also be a good

effect of the mentioned methodologies is the reduction of direct and

indirect costs associated with injuries thus resulting in a greater revenue,

efficient and competitive stance in the industry

The research also found out that the mean recordable rates

dropped from 4.38 in 2005 to 2.8 in 2008. By employing the said

techniques, a 1.58 drop difference was evident. While it was clear that

the abovementioned techniques made a remarkable impression in the

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case rates, there were several techniques which were not that

influential in terms of giving an impact. Those includes: evaluation of

workers and implementation of reward programs, staffing to attain

safety in projects, alcohol and drug testing, and meetings conducted

for supervisors about safety.

Safety Policies

From a study conducted by Al-Kilani (2011), the respondents

were asked if there is a clear safety policy in their construction projects

in Tripoly City. All the respondents (30) 100% stated that they did not

have a written policy in their firms or their construction projects. They are

likewise unaware about the significance of the benefits of the written

safety policy towards improving the overall welfare in construction sites.

Hassanein (2007) imparted the findings about a postal survey of

Singapore’s contractors. The results exposed that accidents on site tend

to occur when there are insufficient policies in a company.

Mahalingam and Levitt (2007) stated that the cleverest

approach in developing the culture of construction health and safety in

developing countries is the strict enforcement of safety policies even if

education or training is viewed as a long-term strategy. Short-term

improvement of health and safety performance is attainable if the

above mentioned approach will be practiced. Since safety culture in

developing countries are unsatisfactory, workers tend to be less

 24

perceptive about concerns regarding health and safety. Thus, it is

essential to fortify site health and safety supervision associated by

regular health and safety inspections. The findings of this paper suggest

that management commitment, supervisory environment, and training

and competence level are three relatively weak facets of the industry’s

health and safety practices in developing countries such as South

Africa than those of developed countries such as Singapore.

Safety Programs

Hinze and Harrison (1981), made an inquiry on the 100 largest

construction firms in USA about their respective safety programs. They

later on concluded that larger firms strictly recognize such program and

that they also had the safest operations. Since workers are provided

with proper orientation about safety, lower injury rates were recorded.

The occurrences in which performances are safer and more secure

were observed when safety representatives are employed and guided

by directors of safety (Hassanein et al. 2007).

Among all industries, construction is the riskiest. Kawuwa, A.S,

et al. (2018) stated that hitches often approached in the safety and

health conditions in construction sites are rooted back to the low

tolerance in following the established guiding principles. Nigeria’s poor

execution of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) was assessed

in this paper. Also, Adeogun & Okafor (2013) noted that the workers in
 25

organizations were exposed to the unhealthy risks that make it evident

that the OSH laws are not enforced in Nigeria.

Equally important, a study by Diogwu et al. in 2012 shows that

majority of construction workers in Minna, Nigeri are not aware of the

body responsible for enforcing OSH regulations in the industry. In their

study, about 79.5 % of the respondents could not identify the correct

body responsible for OSH enforcement in Nigeria. This suggests lack of

knowledge as per OSH and its ineffective enforcement. This feature can

be verified from the outcome of their data gathering and analysis that

involves different respondents in different fields of expertise in

construction. The root causes of accidents on site are assessed by

letting the respondents fill their answers on survey questionnaires. The

researcher identified twenty causes and the result revealed that lack of

warning system is the most effective causes of accidents on

construction site followed by negligence and the failure to follow safety

rules. The researcher deduced that the management of safety is

enhanced through maintainable and efficient measures, meticulous

education about safety and health in the place of work. There should

be a more elaborate and functioning concept of OSH scheme that

would significantly safeguard the well-being of the workforce.

Alhajeri, M. (2011) explored in his research the safety

perceptions, attitudes and behavior of construction workers and

 26

management safety practices through the concept of repertory grid

technique that was used in the interviews. The researcher adopted and

introduced the use of approved methods in the UK that can be built in

the UAE in the pursuit of developing the industry’s safety and health

performance. The findings of the questionnaire were processed and

analyzed by using software called WebGrid. The main findings

indicated that small firms do not seem to have a higher attributes on

safety and health platform. As for that statement, small contractors

have the tendency not to apply health and safety costs. This research

reveals the general poor attitude of the UAE construction companies

towards the constant education and exercising safety and health

programs for their employees. It is reflected on the 18% who verified that

there is indeed unsatisfactory training in the said activity. It was also

found that construction companies in the UAE must have a proper

training program for all staff and employee. A safe and health

committee who consistently checks and evaluate safety and health

issues is likewise needed.

Benyakowa (2012) explained in his research that the

importance of having a safe working environment and the necessity for

the organization to endow workers with the right tools, equipment and

protective clothing. The researcher uses a simplified sampling

technique where it distributed 60 questionnaires to individuals in various

 27

specializations. The data was then scrutinized using a prescriptive

statistics and scale ranking. It was revealed in the study that companies

provide lack of safety materials to workers. The construction sites in

Kumasi has serious insufficient facilities, gadgets and structures that the

researcher recommended that the contractors should provide Personal

Protective Equipmet to the workers and undergo safety education

campaigns and training.

R. Awwad et al. (2014) believed that the involvement,

coordination and commitment of all construction parties is crucial in

implementing an effective safety and health practices as evident in

their paper entitled, “Safety Practices in the Lebanese Construction

Market: Contractors’ Perspective”. This research assesses the Lebanese

construction industry’s adoption of construction safety programs. For

this aim, the researcher conducted a qualitative survey through

interviews and questionnaires with fifteen construction firms. The

interviewees occupied either the position of project manager or safety

manager in their companies. The research outcomes show that some

companies with lack of safety and health management system

reported having no safety officer while both companies who didn’t staff

a Safety Officer had their safety practices based on personal

experience and not on international standards or safety manuals. This

paper concludes that public health sector and other pertinent

 28

authorities hold such a great relevance in raising awareness about

magnitude of safety in construction by designating a faction who

would be responsible in monitoring performance of safety practices on

site.

According to Deki Pelzom Dukpa and Phuntsho Dendup

(2017) relevant issues which happens in the industry specifically in

developing countries include no proper safety practices system, failure

to implement and incorporate safety program at the design and

planning stage and the lack of participation amongst the workforce on

issues regarding safety and health. These drawbacks are mentioned in

their paper which in summary evaluated the construction industry’s

prevailing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) practices in Bhutan.

The researchers aim was carried out through questionnaire surveys,

interviews and discussions that involve 119 participants from several

construction companies. The study identified several OHS problems in

the construction industry, including: (1) Low priority given to safety; (2)

Poor attitude of contractors and laborers towards OHS; (3) lack of

competent manpower to enforce regulations; (4) absence in the

promotion of safety; and (5) adequate structure of safety and health

management

Jason Gray et al. (2015) studied the diverse aspects

correlating the impediments in getting a grasp of the most appropriate

 29

practices on Occupational Health and Safety in small construction

companies in South East Queensland. In their paper “Barriers to Good

Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Practices by Small Construction

Firms” the researchers categorize barriers into three as those of cost,

time and lack of safety awareness and concern. A structured

questionnaire survey was carried out to small construction companies,

especially construction-related subcontractor companies. The result

shows that 35 respondents ranked the “lack of safety awareness and

concern” as the most significant barrier followed by “cost barrier” which

had 12 votes and the “time barrier” which had only 7 votes out of 52.In

addition, because of the size of SMEs, the resources and facilities to

enable safe construction are not readily available (Choi et al., 2012;

Kelloway & Cooper, 2011). Champoux et al. (2013) further elaborated

that the financial benefits of OHS investment is not obvious in the short

term, making it less attractive for small construction businesses.

 30

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes how the study was conducted.

This outlines the selection of study approach, strategies and designs

that was used in commencing the study. The chapter also displays and

indicates the population sample size that was used to analyze the data.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

This section specifies the necessary steps taken in order to

produce the research questionnaire and design. A case study and the

research design approach were being adopted. These methods

highlight the thorough examination of the research setting. In addition,

the quantitative approach was being employed as the research design

in this study and the case study design is found viable that can be link to

the said approach.

 31

Fig. 3.1: Research Flowchart

3.3 GATHERING OF INFORMATION

The most essential part in every research study is the

gathering of information. It will serve as the foundation and basis of

every research. In this study, the gathering of information will undergo

into two factions:

 32

1. Browsing the Internet or Journal

Journals and other references can be downloaded or read

online. There will be a wide selection of information that can be

access freely through the use of internet browsing. Though there are

times wherein some journals are needed to be bought, searching

for existing journals will also be convenient.

2. Company Visit

The information that is gathered through internet will not be

enough in order to support this research study. The researchers will

then visit companies to conduct interviews and surveys in

construction firms and agencies. There companies with various

project types (vertical project) have their own different

implementation of safety and risk assessment guidelines. The

interviews and surveys will be conducted towards the contractors,

project managers, safety officers and construction workers. The

researchers also aim to get a copy of the safety and risk guidelines

from each company that will also be helpful in determining the gap

inside its prefecture.

 33

3.4 THE RESPONDENTS AND SAMPLING

The respondents to be considered for this research includes

contractors, project managers, engineers, skilled and unskilled laborers

and other people so long as they are exposed to risks.

Purposive sampling (also known as judgmental sampling)

enables the researcher to use her judgment to select cases that will

best answer the research question (Saunders et al., 2003). Purposive

sampling targets a particular group of people. When the desired

population for the study is small or very difficult to locate and recruit for

a study, purposive sampling may be the only option (Saunders et al.,

2003; Aaker et al., 2007). Purposive sampling involves targeting a

particular group because it is that group the researcher is interested in.

Respondents are chosen because they have particular features or

characteristics which will enable detailed exploration of the research

objectives.

3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The research employs questionnaires and interviews that

would best serve as instruments in identifying common risks

encountered on site.
 34

3.5.1 QUESTIONNAIRE

Very important considerations by the researchers have been

taken into account while developing the questionnaire for the purpose

of the current research. The design of the questionnaire is based upon

the research aims and objectives, coupled with what has been

discussed and deduced from the literature review.

The questionnaire was divided into nine parts which are the

main safety areas identified by the Construction Industry Institute:

(1) Company Information: gathering background information

about the company such as main scope of work, number of employees,

whether or not it complies with the Safety and Health Management

System(SHMS), potential incentives to adopt a SHMS in case no one

exists or information about SHMS if adopted

(2) Management Commitment: assessing if top management

participates in safety operations

(3) Staffing for Safety: allocated human resources for

construction safety purposes

(4) Safety Education: the existence or lack of training

programs for workers

(5) Worker Involvement: participation of workers in

enhancing safety regulations and training new workers

 35

(6) Punishment/ Reward System: assessing if any rewarding

system is in place to promote good safety practice and punish

non-conforming behavior

(7) Subcontract Management: Assessing whether safety

performance is a criterion in the qualification and subsequent

supervision of subcontractors.

(8) Accident Investigation: keeping accident records and

investigation strategies

(9) Drug and Alcohol Testing: determining whether workers

are tested for alcohol or drug abuse.

3.5.2 INTERVIEW METHOD

To support the design questionnaire, the interview scheme

was employed to verify some other information that cannot be

accessed using the questionnaire.

3.6 COMPARISON OF DATA GATHERED

The gathered information through reading journals and

safety guidelines together with the survey papers from the different

companies will then be extracted orderly to classify their similarities and

differences to achieve the goal of this study which is to evaluate where

risks are dominant in terms of vertical constructions.

 36

3.7 EVALUATION OF DATA

Though the data that is involved in this study is basically

qualitative information, it will still be evaluated to correlate to the

existing risk assessment approach in the chapter 2. The surveys and the

safety and risk guidelines will serve as the basis to firmly support the new

risk assessment method.

3.7.1 ANALYSIS PROCEDURE

The study analyzed data through comparative and

statistical approach. In Saunders et al. (2007), analysis is the ability to

break down data and to clarify the nature of the component parts and

the relationship between them. Interview and questionnaire responses

were analyzed through data reduction, display, conclusion creation,

and to identify trends. The analysis aimed to obtain frequencies and

percentages of closed-ended responses to assist in identifying

deficiencies and issues in safety practices that appeared from

responses. This was used to generate tables, pie charts and other

relevant graphs.

3.8 IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS IN VERTICAL CONSTRUCTIONS

The researchers’ preeminent goal is to identify where risk is

dominant in terms of the vertical constructions. After analyzing the

gathered data, the researchers would then recognize whether risk is

 37

more dominant in low, middle or high rise buildings. With the risk

identified, the researchers’ next task is to fill the gaps or shortcomings

committed and recommend specific steps in order to attain the ideal

safety each person deserves in the workplace.

3.9 RESEARCH SETTING

This study took place in several civil constructions of vertical

buildings in Cagayan de Oro city. These construction companies are

specialized in constructing small-sized, medium-sized and high rise

buildings. These companies/businesses are as follows:

1. Makati Development Corporation (MDC) (High-rise

construction)

2. JEJOR’S CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (Medium-sized

construction)

3. SMALL-SCALE CONTRACTORS (Small-sized construction)

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study…………………………………………………1

1.2 Significance of the study…………………………………………………5

1.3 Statement of the problem……………………………………………….6

1.4 Objectives…………………………………………………………………..6

1.5 Scope and Limitations……………………………………………………7

1.6 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………8

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………………………………………..……….11

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction…………………………………..…………….…………….30

3.2 Research Design…………………………………………………………30

3.3 Gathering of Information………………………………………………31

3.4 The Respondents and Sampling……………………………………...33

3.5 Research Instrument…………………………………………………….33

3.5.1 Questionnaire…………………………………………………..34

3.5.2 Interview Method……………………………………………...35

3.6 Comparison of Data Gathered………………………………………35

 3.7 Evaluation of Data………………………………………………………36

3.7.1 Analysis Procedure…………………………………………….36

3.8 Identification of Hazards in Vertical Constructions………………..36

3.9 Research Setting…………………………………………………………37

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