Assessment of Basic Measures Instituted to Curtail the Spread of COVID-19 on Construction Sites in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every industry’s operation and safety requirements, including that of the construction industry. Different measures are thus required to mitigate the spread of the disease among construction site workers. This article explores the basic measures construction organisations have instituted at construction project sites to curb the spread of the virus among construction site workers. A qualitative research method was adopted for the study, while data were collected through open-ended questions. Summative content analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data and determine the frequency of keywords that were further translated to quantitative measurements. The study determined that construction organisations have largely instituted some basic measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on sites, whereas most organisations were lacking in the area of social distancing. COVID-19 is still new; therefore, the body of knowledge is still in the infancy stage. To date, there is no evidence of empirical studies that addressed the compliance level of Nigerian construction organisations with basic measures for curtailing the spread of COVID-19. Policymakers could adopt the interventions arising from this study to mitigate the spread of the virus.