Quantifying the cost implications of workplace health and safety measures during tendering in developing countries: evidence from Ghanaian construction industry

Purpose Workplace health and safety (WHS) has emerged as a growing concern in the construction industry, particularly in developing economies where competitive pressures and regulatory environments are evolving. Despite a growing awareness of this problem, empirical evidence relating to the integration of WHS-related costs into tendering processes and their subsequent impact on pricing in tender prices remains limited. This study aims to investigate the extent to which Ghanaian contractors consider WHS items when preparing bids and aims to quantify the associated financial costs. Design/methodology/approach Using a purposive and snowball sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 103 construction professionals from the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, Ghana Institution of Engineers and Ghana Institute of Architects. The questions solicited the views of professionals on the frequency with which they considered WHS items during the tendering process and their associated cost implications. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings The findings revealed that WHS items are moderately to widely taken into account during tender pricing, with the majority of professionals indicating a typical cost increase of around 5% when WHS provisions are made. Additionally, significant differences in WHS pricing practices were found among experience levels, types of firms and categories of clients. Originality/value The study identified how construction professionals in Ghana allocate costs related to WHS during the tendering process and quantifies the average approximate percentage by which tender prices of contractors increase due to the allocation of resources for WHS items.