Health and Safety issues in the
construction industry are of much concern to stakeholders, particularly because
of their impact on the industry. This paper explored the roles and
responsibilities of stakeholders in ensuring health and safety at the
construction site. A well-structured interview guide was adopted for the
qualitative study. Content analysis was adopted for the analysis of the
results. The study revealed that the twelve roles identified by the
stakeholders are only limited to the few laws and regulations they are aware
of. Whereas the Contractors identified provision of welfare facilities,
provision of health and safety policy, and health and safety plan as their key
roles, the Consultants’ role was mainly limited to provision of competent site
agent and provision of site layout. Abiding by the contractors’ instruction was
identified by the Construction Workers as their key responsibilities. The local
government officials also identified enforcement of CHS laws and regulations
and reporting of incidents to the appropriate authorities, whereas the
traditional authorities identified the enforcement of CHS laws and regulations
including bye laws and enforcement of customs as their key roles. The findings
further show that the stakeholders failed to appreciate some key roles and
responsibilities enshrined in CHS laws and regulations in Ghana. The findings
contribute to knowledge on stakeholders’ responsibilities in ensuring CHS, and
provide valuable reference and insight to practitioners on the roles and
responsibilities of the various stakeholders. It is recommended to train and
educate stakeholders on all the relevant laws and regulations on CHS in order
to improve health and safety at the construction site. The government should
also set up a body such as Construction Authority to educate, coordinate,
monitor and audit the activities of stakeholders to improve CHS at construction
sites.
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