CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The construction industry constitutes one of the industry with the highest number of hazardous nature of work which requires the implementation of safety policy and safety management so as to mitigate the inherent risk and hazards in the construction industry. The term safety is defined as the mitigation of risk to a level that is reasonably low as practicable. Therefore Safety management systems (SMS) constitute a detailed management system formulated to implement safety policy in the organization. The SMS consist of plans, objectives, policy, procedures, responsibility, organization etc. . The essence of SMS is to identify hazard and mitigate risk in the organization and also ensuring that   these risk controls are effective SMS is a measure adopted as an explicit, rational and detailed process for managing safety risks.

The  significance of  ensuring safety in the work environment is fundamentally upheld by  different studies as the work environment is exposed to  intrinsic hazard and risk factors  which exact negative influences on the  firms overall performance.  Consequently the construction industry constitute as one of the most hazardous industry. According to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (2011) The ratio of one to six fatal accidents takes place at the construction site. Also a further estimate indicates that about 60,000 fatal accidents takes place   annually on construction sites around the world.  Keller & Keller, (2009) and Injuries Board (2009). In Nigeria an estimated hundreds of construction employees are incapacitated and killed as a result of accident at the construction sites. Awodele & Ayoola, (2005) and Smallwood & Haupt (2005) .The reason  being  attributed  to  poorly implemented  safety management system  and lack of  adequate policy measure  which covers all  the relevant safety issues involved in each construction project and site. Therefore the research seek to investigate the effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The level of incidents of hazards in the construction industry is enormous resulting in increased rate of deaths and permanently disabled citizens of construction employees. This  repeated cases of accidents emanates from  falls from height, trapped by collapse building , accident from  a moving vehicle, electricity or electrical burns, contact with operating machinery or material being machined, exposure to hot or harmful substance or fire

The  significance of  ensuring safety in the work environment is fundamentally upheld by  different studies as the work environment is exposed to  intrinsic hazard and risk factors  which exact negative influences on the firms overall performance.  Consequently the construction industry constitute as one of the most hazardous industry. According to the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (2011) The ratio of one to six fatal accidents takes place at the construction site. Also a further estimate indicates that about 60,000 fatal accidents takes place   annually on construction sites around the world.  Keller & Keller, (2009) and Injuries Board (2009). In Nigeria an estimated hundreds of construction employees are incapacitated and killed as a result of  accident at the construction sites. Awodele & Ayoola, (2005) and Smallwood & Haupt (2005) .The reason  being  attributed  to  poorly implemented  safety management system  and lack of  adequate policy measure  which covers all  the relevant safety issues involved in each construction project and site. Therefore the research seek to investigate the effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To determine the nature of safety management

To determine the effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What is safety management?

What is the effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company?

 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study proffers the need to ensure an effective implementation of a safety management system in the construction industry to ensure optimal performance.

The significance of ensuring safety in the work environment is fundamentally upheld by different studies as the work environment is exposed to intrinsic hazard and risk factors.

1.6  RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho The effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company is low

Hi The effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company is high

 1.7  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on the appraisal of the effect of safety management on project performance in a construction company

1.8  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Logistics and geographical factors were some of the constraint faced in the research.

1.9  DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

RISK DEFINED

RISK is the unfavorable circumstances that may occur in the process of an event or exercise of job function that could lead to damage or destruction of life or property or ill health.

 HAZARD DEFINED

The situation or source from where a potential damage or harm could originate. Such sources could be chemical in nature, biological physical or ergonomic. This implies that some industries are more hazardous than others.

SAFETY DEFINED

Safety is defined as the mitigation of risk to a level that is reasonably low as practicable.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT DEFINED

 Safety management system (SMS) constitutes a detailed management system formulated to implement safety policy in the organization. The SMS consist of plans, objectives, policy, procedures, responsibility, organization etc. . The essence of SMS is to identify hazard and mitigate risk in the organization and also ensuring that   these risk controls are effectiveSMS is a measure adopted as an explicit, rational and detailed process for managing safety risks.

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