Assessment of Occupational Accidents Among Employees in Building Construction Sites in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract
Building construction accidents are unplanned events that may result in worker injuries, fatalities, and property damage (Yao et al., 2022). The construction industry records a high burden of occupational accidents, including fatal and lost-time injuries, compared with many other sectors (Chan et al., 2023). However, limited documentation of construction-related accidents constrains understanding of their occurrence and associated occupational safety and health (OSH) risks. This study assessed occupational accidents and their association with OSH hazards among workers at building construction sites in Nairobi County. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. A sample of 385 workers was selected from purposively sampled construction sites using stratified and random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and observation guides, while secondary information was obtained from relevant publications. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and Pearson's chi-square test was used to assess associations between selected variables. The 385 respondents, 289 (75.1%) were male and 96 (24.9%) were female. The prevalence of construction-site accidents was 41.0% (n = 158). The most common accidents were falls or slips (31.0%), equipment-related injuries (22.8%), injuries from falling objects (15.2%), and building or structural collapse (13.3%). Overall, 62.3% of respondents reported that PPE was not provided, while 70.4% reported that their sites lacked first-aid facilities. Sex (χ² = 16.973, df = 1, p < 0.001) and satisfaction with existing OSH measures (χ² = 58.65, df = 2, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with accident occurrence. The study recommends strengthening OSH training, provision of PPE and first-aid facilities, and emergency-response preparedness at construction sites.
Keywords: Building construction, occupational accidents, occupational safety and health, safety hazards, health hazards, construction workers.

Building construction, occupational accidents, occupational safety and health, safety hazards, health hazards, construction workers.

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