Abstract:
The nature of the construction sector is a highly risk area for the workers with frequent accident
rates and ill-health problems. This is because the industry has a poor safety performance record
compared to other industries all over the world. This study therefore, aims to assess safety
management practice in housing construction projects in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In
pursuing this objective, a descriptive case study research design was used. For this study the
researcher selected 2 sites out of 7 which were under construction and 42 contractors at a place
called “Koye Feche”. To gather information the researcher used both primary and secondary
data. The researcher classified the main causes of accident in to three; management (contractor
and consultant) related, government related and workers related. And also the researcher tried
to identify the frequent accident type. As per the information gathered in the research process,
the result showed that management related factors for the cause of accident was immense.
Failure of the government to enforce the laws had contributed a lot for the causes of the
accident. In addition, workers lack of awareness about safety was noticed in the research as a
factor for the cause of accident. At the end, the researcher recommended that the government
should play a vital role by enforcing the law to make sure that the contractors are adhering to
the safety rules and regulation; and the contractor also should give due consideration on safety
first. All stake holders should work harmoniously to minimize the current accident rate and
create awareness on safety issues.
