Assessing the level of the safety practice in construction companies in palestine

Abstract EN

Construction sites are generally complex and sometimes unsafe.

They are still one of the most dangerous workplaces because of high incidence of accidents compared with other industries.

This paper presents the results of a study undertaken to assess the level of the safety practice in construction companies in the Gaza Strip.

The survey included fifty one construction companies that operate in the Gaza Strip.

The results indicated that most of contractors in Palestine did not have a safety department, and did not have a safety manual.

A large number of the respondent contractors have partial knowledge of safety.

The opinion of the respondents’ contractors regarding responsibility of the lack of safety is traced to company management.

The majority of the respondents agreed that there is financial saving when complying with safety provisions.

The results showed that the highest impact of the accidents on construction projects is on the cost of projects.

It is recommended to strengthen the awareness and attitude of the top management and project managers towards the importance of safety.

The managements of the company must establish and enforce safety polices for workers.

They should develop their activities by including more monitoring of safety performance at the site and by giving more reliable feedback about the consequences that take place.

Companies should hold their project management accountable for accidents.