Health and Safety Behaviour of Construction Masons in Lagos State

Purpose- The research project is an assessment of the health and safety behavior of construction masons in Lagos state. Health and safety is a safety risk mitigating mechanism that must be implemented to ensure a hazard-free construction work experience and increase productivity in the construction industry. The construction masons play an important and arguably the largest role in the construction industry which makes them more accident- prone than the other workforce in the industry. This necessitates that the poor health and safety behavior of construction masons be studied. This study aims to ascertain the behavioral patterns of construction masons towards health and safety so that there would be an awareness of the essence of health and safety practices on the construction site.  Research Methodology- With regards to this, 113 construction professionals who work along with the masons in Lagos state were selected and issued well- structured questionnaires to get responses on the health and safety behavior of construction masons in Lagos state along with focus- group-based interviews of construction masons. The derived data was analyzed through the use of descriptive and analytical scientific methods (frequencies, mean, and percentages).  Findings- The research study revealed that many of the construction professionals coupled with the construction workers (masons) are aware of the necessity of the implementation of the health and safety concepts in the construction industry. Also, many of the respondents agreed that dust and fumes from cement and falling objects are the commonest hazards faced by construction masons. In addition to that, it was observed that lack of adoption of safety measures by construction organizations, ignorance about the importance of safety, and overconfidence on the part of the workers are the major factors contributing to poor safety behaviors among workers.  Limitation- Some important limitations encountered in the course of this research are averseness of organizations to disclose relevant safety information and lack of adequate records of safety issues in Nigeria.  Recommendation- In line with this, the research recommends that there should be adequate delivery of safety equipment to construction sites, adequate safety supervision, adequate site safety meetings, and functional health and safety laws in the state.  Social Implications/Value- This research has been able to contribute to the body of knowledge by evaluating the level of safety awareness of construction professionals, identifying the common hazards among construction professionals, unearthing the factors discouraging good safety behavior among masons, and identifying the factors that can promote a good safety behavior among masons to develop a more effective construction industry.