Development of Accident Reporting and Investigation Framework for Reducing Life-Threatening Incidents on Building Construction Sites in Ondo State, Nigeria

The construction industry is one of the most hazardous occupational sectors, with life-threatening incidents such as falls from height, struck-by incidents, electrocution, and equipment-related injuries occurring frequently. In Ondo State, existing accident reporting and investigation practices are largely informal and inconsistent, limiting effective accident prevention and organisational learning. This study therefore assessed accident reporting and investigation practices with a view to developing a standardized framework for reducing life-threatening incidents on building construction sites. The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design as the third phase of a sequential research programme. Structured questionnaires were administered electronically through Google Forms to construction professionals and site personnel in Ondo State using purposive sampling. A total of 71 valid responses were obtained. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and regression analysis to examine accident causes, reporting systems, and investigation methods. Unsafe work practices recorded the highest perceived accident cause (Mean = 3.99), followed by defective equipment and inadequate safety training (Mean = 3.87 each). Respondents strongly supported immediate accident reporting (Mean = 4.07) and government-mandated standardized reporting templates (Mean = 4.03). For investigation practices, sharing lessons learned (Mean = 4.14), monitoring recommendations until implementation (Mean = 4.11), and multidisciplinary investigation teams (Mean = 4.10) ranked highest. Regression analysis revealed significant relationships between accident causes and accident reporting systems (β = .879, p < .001), and between reporting systems and investigation methods (β = .843, p < .001). Accident causes and reporting systems jointly explained 91.4% of the variance in investigation methods. The findings demonstrated that a structured accident reporting system is central to effective accident investigation and safety improvement. The results suggested that accident reporting may serve as an important intervening mechanism linking accident causes to investigation effectiveness, although formal mediation testing is required for confirmation. The study recommended that Construction organisations should adopt standardized and timely accident reporting procedures, strengthen systematic root-cause investigation, establish multidisciplinary investigation teams, monitor corrective actions to completion, and share lessons learned with workers. Government agencies should support standardized reporting requirements and centralized accident databases, while future studies should employ larger and longitudinal samples to develop a validated model.