Engineering strategies to improving health and safety practices in the Ethiopian construction engineering projects

Despite the construction sector’s high hazard profile in developing nations, limited empirical evidence exists on how engineering-led interventions interact with governance structures and sociocultural dynamics to influence occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes. This study addresses that gap by investigating the mechanisms through which engineering solutions, grounded in sociotechnical systems and resilience engineering theory, can enhance construction safety practices in Ethiopia. The research employed a mixed methods design. Quantitative data were collected from construction project stakeholders via a structured questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including regression analysis. Qualitative responses were examined using thematic analysis to contextualize and deepen the quantitative findings. The study focused on engineering solutions targeting high-risk activities such as excavation, scaffolding, falseworks, concrete operations, edge protection, worker movements, and temporary protective measures. The results demonstrate that engineering solutions constitute the strongest predictor of improved OHS outcomes (β = 0.82, p < 0.001). However, their effectiveness is significantly mediated by contextual factors. Engineering interventions including modular guardrail systems, digital monitoring, and design-integrated safety measures proved substantially more effective in complex projects than in standardized settings, confirming that technical efficacy is context-dependent. Three primary barriers were identified: financial constraints (68% of firms), skills gaps (57%), and organizational resistance to change (42%). Notably, training in isolation showed weak statistical significance ( p = 0.11), while thematic and NLP-based analyses revealed pervasive workforce exclusion from safety decision-making, underscoring that technological solutions underperform without genuine worker participation. The study concludes that resilient OHS frameworks require the coordinated integration of engineering strategies, robust institutional governance including centralized enforcement, safety-integrated, and tax incentives and participatory, human-centered practices that embed safety as a shared value rather than a regulatory burden.