The Effects of Employees’ Knowledge and Training on the Implementation of OSH Measures in Building Construction Sites in Mombasa County, Kenya
Abstract
Introduction: The construction industry is a key driver of economic growth in Kenya and in the world at large. Kenya is a developing economy whose demand for housing and other infrastructure is high; hence, the construction industry is a major employer. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of employees’ knowledge and training on the implementation of OSH measures in building construction sites in Mombasa County. Methodology: This cross-sectional study purposively selected construction sites that had been registered by the National Construction Authority in the County. Stratification of the sites was based on the worker population; hence, sites employing 100 – 200 workers were categorised as large construction sites were selected. Three sites and a site manager/supervisor were purposively selected to participate in this study. Systematic sampling was used to select the study sites, while simple random sampling methods were used to select the participants. Data collection was done using self-administered questionnaires supplemented with interviews. Results and Discussions: A total of 316 respondents from construction sites participated in this study, giving a response rate of 82.1%. Male workers were 89.9% and most (70.3%) participants belonged to the age group 26 – 40 years. Many (39.6%) workers were primary school leavers and secondary school leavers (33.2%). Most participants (97.0%) were knowledgeable of their duties concerning occupational safety and health measures and how to implement them. However, they were not implementing the OSH measures due to negligence despite the fact that they were trained regularly. Conclusion: There was no positive effect on the knowledge of employees on OSH measures implementation in the construction sites despite being knowledgeable. Recommendation: An Awareness campaign on safety culture and OSH measures implementation among the workers should be done since negligence and ignorance were the main challenges in OSH measures implementation among the workers.
Downloads
References
Abdi, M. A., & Hareru, W. K. (2024). Assessment of Factors Affecting the Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Measures in the Construction Industry in Somaliland. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2024(1), 8324294.
Adeyemo, O., & Smallwood, J. (2017). Impact of occupational health and safety legislation on performance improvement in the Nigerian construction industry. Procedia engineering, 196, 785-791.
da Silva, S. L. C., & Amaral, F. G. (2019). Critical factors of success and barriers to the implementation of occupational health and safety management systems: A systematic review of literature. Safety science, 117, 123-132.
DOSHS, (2019). (Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Service) – “Cleaner (industrial premises)”, Kenya/International Hazard Datasheets on occupation, Retrieved 6 August 2020.
Fischer, M., Baessler, A., Hense, H. W., Hengstenberg, C., Muscholl, M., Holmer, S., ... & Schunkert, H. (2003). Prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the community: results from a Doppler echocardiographic-based survey of a population sample. European Heart Journal, 24(4), 320-328.
ILO (2017). The construction industry in the twenty-first century: Its image, employment prospects and skill requirements. Geneva: International Labour Office, Geneva, Switzerland
Kissi, E., Aigbavboa, C., Smith, E. D., Thwala, D. W., & Kwofie, T. E. (2023). Skills Development in the 4th Industrial Revolution: The Construction Industry. Emerging Debates in the Construction Industry, 149-173.
Klave, E., Denysiuk, O., Zapiechna, Y., Loktionova, Y., Doroshenko, P., & Barandych, B. (2025). The Role of Human Resources in the Development of the Global Construction Market. Financial & Credit Activity: Problems of Theory & Practice, 1(60).
Liu, S., Gyabeng, E., Sewu, G. J. A., Nkrumah, N. K., & Dartey, B. (2019). Research Article Occupational Health and Safety and Turnover Intention in the Ghanaian Power Industry: The Mediating Effect of Organizational Commitment.
Murie, A. (2018). Shrinking the state in housing: challenges, transitions and ambiguities. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 11(3), 485-501.
Otido, J., & Omwenga, J. Q. (2019). Factors affecting National Construction Authority on regulating building construction projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 6(2), 2354-2368.
Tambwe, O. T., Aigbavboa, C. O., & Akinradewo, O. (2025). Benefits of construction data risks management in the construction industry. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 23(2), 458-476.
Zekri, M. S. M., Rahardjo, K., & Darmawan, A. (2022). Implementation of Safety Requirements in the Construction Industry in Libya. International Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting Research (IJEBAR), 6(1), 762-767.
Copyright (c) 2025 Evans Kibon Totona, Charles Mburu, Margaret Gichuhi, Richard Korir
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
