Harmonisation of construction health and safety practices and compliance in the Southern African Development Community – SADC: a final report

There is an urgent need to strengthen standards of construction health and safety practices in developing countries. This study, focuses on the member states of the Southern African Development Community - SADC. The body founded in 1991 and run from its headquarters in Gaborone -Botswana is an all-African inspired agency created to formulate ways of promoting development, peace and security; economic growth; alleviation of poverty; enhancement of the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa; and of supporting the socially disadvantaged through regional integration, built on democratic principles and equitable principles and sustainable development.

The overarching objective of this study funded by The British Academy is to harmonize construction health and safety practices across the member countries that make up the SADC community. Therefore, the research reported on is directed to strategies that will minimize the loss of human life and the avoidable workplace injuries associated with infrastructure projects. Currently, due to poor health and safety laws, the lack of effective safety monitoring and enforcement bodies, and the absence of well-structured and well-resourced institutions to monitor activities of the industry, there is an overwhelming number of fatalities and injuries because of construction activities. The findings of this study will if taken to heart within SADC will help to put in place the necessary stepping stones to change these undesirable and negative consequences. The report highlights the challenges, suggests solutions, and recommends possible courses of action to bring about change.