TITLE:
Occupational Health and Safety Status in the Windhoek Construction Industry: A Namibian Perspective
AUTHORS:
Emma Maano Nghitanwa, Lindiwe Zungu
KEYWORDS:
Construction, Hazard, Industry, Occupational Health, Occupational Safety
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology,
Vol.7 No.3,
September
12,
2017
ABSTRACT: Construction
industry remains the dangerous industry in the world, due to the nature of work
and the working environment which exposes workers to different types of hazards
and occupational accidents. Construction workers are also at risk of developing
occupational related health conditions due to the exposure to occupational
hazards. A cross-sectional,
quantitative, descriptive study was conducted to collect the data regarding
occupational health and safety status in the construction industry. Data was
collected with questionnaires developed based on the literatures and the World
Health Organization Healthy workplace model. The study found out that the
provision of occupational health and safety in the Windhoek construction
industry is in poor status. Furthermore, construction work is mainly for male,
young workers aged between 18 to 29 years. The mean age is 31.48 years. The
study results also indicated that occupational hazards are prevalent in the
construction industry. Nevertheless, most participants indicated that
occupational accidents are not common in the construction sites. The study
recommended the development of practical guidelines to improve the occupational
health and safety status in the construction industry. The recommended
guidelines should be implemented in all construction sites.