Health and Safety

in the
Construction Industry
ROSE K. WAWERU
MARCH 2018
Background
• Construction Industry accounts for 7% of the
overall GDP in Kenya;
• In the FY 2017/2018 the Budgetary Allocation
for the Energy/ICT/Infrastructure Sectors was
Kshs. 415.8 billion;
• The Construction Industry Employs a Total of
511, 676 workers in the skilled, semi-skilled
and unskilled categories;
Background Cont.
• The total number of work- related injuries and
diseases results in 2.3 million deaths a year
globally.
Each of the 337 million workplace accidents that occur each
year usually lead to employees’ long absence from work.
• The total cost of this to society is 4% loss in
global GDP each year
• In Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
terms, the construction sector is one of the
highest risk sectors.
 Key Terms:
• Health – the protection of the bodies and minds of people
from illness resulting from the materials, processes or
procedures used in the workplace.
• Safety – the protection of people from physical injury.
• Welfare – the provision of facilities to maintain the health
and well-being of individuals at the workplace e.g. washing
and sanitation arrangements, clean drinking water, lighting
and accommodation.
First aid arrangements are also considered as welfare
facilities.
• Accident – any unplanned event that results in injury or ill
health, damage or loss of property, plant, materials or the
environment.
• Hazard – a hazard is the potential of a substance, activity
or process to cause harm. Hazards take many forms including
chemicals, electricity and working from a ladder.
• Risk - the likelihood that a substance, activity or process will
cause harm.
A RISK CAN BE REDUCED AND A HAZARD CONTROLLED THROUGH PROPER
MANAGEMENT.
Why Health and Safety in Construction?
• Vital to the workers well-being
• Enhance the reputation of the business by ensuring high
performance
• Financially beneficial
• Moral and Legal duty

Obstacles to achieving good standards of health

and safety include:
• Pressure of performance targets
• Financial constraints
Organizations concerned with Health and
Safety include:
• ILO-International Labour Organization- A
tripartite U.N Agency that brings together governments,
workers and employers of its member states to promote
a decent work environment for all
• WHO-World Health Organization-a special agency
of the United Nations concerned with international
public health
• DOSHS(Directorate for Occupational Safety
and Health Services)-A State Department under the
Ministry of Labour whose role is to ensure safety, health
and welfare of all workers in all workplaces.
Legal Framework for Occupational Health and
Safety in Kenya

• The Constitution of Kenya-The Bill of Rights (Part2 Section

41(2)(b)) “ Every worker has the right to reasonable working
conditions”
• Work Injury Benefits Act 2007- An Act of Parliament to
provide for compensation to employees for work related injuries
and diseases contracted in the course of their employment.
• Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 15 of 2007-An
Act of Parliament to provide for the safety, health and welfare of
workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces.
• Employment Act Cap226 –Defines the Rights of Employees
and prescribes basic minimum conditions of employment to
employees.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act:
The purpose of this Act is to—
(a) secure the safety, health and welfare of
persons at work; and
(b) protect persons other than persons at work
against risks to safety and health arising out
of, or in connection with, the activities of
persons at work.
Duties of the Employer (Part II Section 6)

(a) Ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of all his
employees.
(b) Carry out suitable risk assessments for the safety and health of
workers,
(c)Employ well trained personnel and clearly instruct them in their
duties
(d) Keep records of accidents that occur in their premises,
investigate and report them to the nearest OSH office.
(d) Take immediate steps to stop any operation or activity where
there is a prominent and serious danger to safety and health and
to take away persons from the danger.
Duties of the Employees (Section 13)

Every employee while at work has a duty to:

(a) take care of his or her own safety and health and of other
persons who may be affected by his or her actions at work;
(b) to co-operate with his or her employer in the carrying out of
any duty placed on the employer or that other person by this
Act; and
(c) to wear or use at all times any Personal Protective
Equipment or clothing provided by the employer for
purposes of protection against existing workplace hazards.
Duties of Suppliers and Manufacturers (20)

Ensure that the chemicals, machinery, equipment

and materials supplied are of good quality and in
good condition
Safe use of plant machinery and equipment
(55)
All plant, machinery and equipment whether fixed or
mobile for use either at the workplace or as a
workplace shall only be used for work, which they
are intended for and be operated by an experienced
person.
Sanitary Accommodation (52)
Sufficient and suitable sanitary conveniences,
separate for each gender, must be provided subject
to conformity with any standard prescribed by rules.
 Cost of Accidents

Any accident or incidence of ill-health will

cause both direct and indirect costs and incur
an insured and an uninsured cost.

It is important that all of these costs are taken

into account when the full cost of an accident is
calculated.
 The Accident Iceberg

When an accident occurs direct costs are covered by insurance.

However, indirect costs are borne by the organization

Uninsured costs are up to 36 times more costly than insured costs

 Accident Triangle

A major event such as a serious or disabling injury normally results

from a sequence of events involving a combination of unsafe acts
and therefore a poor health and safety culture within the
organization
Common types of accidents on construction
sites:
• Collapses during excavations
Health and safety plan, method statements, Personal Protective
equipment
• Collapse of masonry walls
Personal Protective equipment
• Falls e.g during roofing works
Ladders, suitable access means, barriers, safety inspections
• Falling objects
Personal Protective equipment, Covered walkways, netting to catch debris
• Electrocution
Labelling and marking of ground cables, PPE

• Machine related accidents

Maintenance, clear access routes and loading zones
 Management of Health and Safety at Work

• Have a health and safety policy for your organization

• Assess potential risks on site and manage them
appropriately
• Set up Emergency Procedures
• Provide Adequate Training
• Provide all workers with health and safety information
• Provide workers with Personal Protective Equipment
• Comply with the law
Skull
Arms
Face
Ears/Eyes
Toes
Yourself
Personal Protective Equipment is Essential for All!
Use of Appropriate
Safety Signage
THE END