Assessment of Health and Safety Management in Construction Projects in Cross River State, South South Nigeria

Health and safety management on construction sites is a legal and ethical obligation that protects workers from injury, yet compliance levels in Nigerian construction projects remain inadequate. This study assesses health and safety management practices in construction projects in Cross River State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey will recruit 160 site managers, health and safety officers, and construction workers from 20 active construction sites in Calabar and Akamkpa. A structured questionnaire informed by the Nigerian Factories Act and ISO 45001 standards will assess hazard identification, PPE provision, safety training, incident reporting, and management commitment to safety. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests will examine compliance levels and their relationship to reported accident rates. Existing literature from South South Nigeria documents high rates of construction site accidents attributable to inadequate protective equipment, poor safety training, and supervisor negligence. Findings will support the development of site-level safety management systems and inform Factories Inspectorate compliance campaigns in Cross River State. Keywords: health and safety, construction projects, Cross River State, occupational safety, compliance