Construction Health and Safety Awareness of Nigerian Undergraduate Quantity Surveyors

Abstract

Construction is particularly an accident-prone and disease-causing process. Quantity surveyors render professional financial management services with regards to the entire construction value chain – including in construction health and safety (H&S) management. However, the adequacy of the construction H&S content of quantity surveying undergraduate programmes in Nigerian universities is uncertain. This study examined undergraduate quantity surveyors’ knowledge of construction H&S. The study used purposive sampling technique for the selection of five universities in southern Nigeria offering bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying. Copies of the study questionnaire were given to 400 and 500 levels students from the five selected universities. Interviews were conducted with registered practicing quantity surveyors, and one quantity surveying lecturer in each of the universities in order to validate the results of the survey. The data were analysed using mean scores. The results revealed that undergraduate students of quantity surveying in the universities covered by the study are insignificantly aware of quantity surveyors’ construction H&S roles. An examination of the course contents of the undergraduate quantity surveying programmes of the universities did not reveal any separate course module for construction H&S. The interviews supported the findings from the survey carried out on the students. They revealed that there is need to include construction H&S in quantity surveying undergraduate programmes in Nigerian universities. Undergraduate quantity surveying students should be taught construction H&S in order to equip them for their future H&S management roles in the construction industry.