EVALUATING THE FACTORS AFFECTING HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN CONSTRUCTION AND OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES IN NIGERIA

Construction and oil and gas industries are two of the riskiest industries in Nigeria based on the number of accidents recorded in these industries, the majority of which are linked to poor health and safety practices. Therefore, this study is set to evaluate the factors affecting health and safety practices in both industries in order to improve health and safety practices. To achieve this, a closed-ended survey guestionnaire was designed and administered to professionals working in both industries, and the completed guestionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that several factors affect health and safety practices in both industries, and at the top of this list are poor management commitment, high work pressure when deadlines are approaching, insufficient financial allocation for safety management, a lack of safety awareness among workers, a lack of attention from the government, and a lack of enforcement of safety rules and regulations. The study also revealed that there was no significant difference in the factors affecting health and safety practices in the construction and oil and gas industries, save for management's focus on profitability over safety, a lack of enforcement of safety rules and regulations, and not giving adeguate safety orientation to new workers. The study concludes that in order to improve health and safety practices in both industries, there is a need to find a lasting solution to all these challenges.