Performance audit : an analysis on OHSA’s operations : a case study on the construction industry

Abstract

Workers engaged in the local Construction Industry are at most risk of suffering occupational accidents over those working in any other sector. In explaining the occurrence of such incidents, NAO carried out a statistical exercise in which quantifiable variables were tested for correlation with occurring accidents. More specifically, number of hours worked, weather variables and age of workers were tested in order to explain accident rates. Through its analysis, this Office found that none of these factors are strongly correlated with the occurrence of occupational accidents in the construction industry except heat, which factor explains 31.5% variability in accident rates. By deduction, other factors which cannot be immediately quantified, explain the remaining 68.5% of the variability in accident rates. While these unexplained variations are attributable to predictors the NAO was not in a position to quantify, this Office notes that, apart from random variation, these include disregard to occupational health and safety through cultural predisposition and regulatory slack.