Abstract
Due to the dangerous nature of the construction industry, Health and Safety (H&S) have become a crucial and critical factor to consider in the industry’s construction sites. Accidents are bound to happen on construction sites and lead to injuries that are often fatal to workers. Based on this knowledge, the study evaluated H&S management practices in the construction industry from a construction professional’s perspective in the Eswatini construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative research design with a questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The survey was conducted among core construction professionals from all four regions of the country. Data analysis was done through SPSS using percentage, mean item score, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while the reliability of the questionnaire was tested using the Cronbach alpha test. Findings from EFA revealed that the common H&S issues in the country could be grouped into four distinct factors. These are poor safety conditions on construction sites, lack of consideration for H&S issues, nature of the construction industry, and inadequate professional inputs. Also, the H&S management practices adopted over time within the industry can be viewed from two perspectives: H&S core company policy and plans and H&S processes. Seven (7) factors under barriers to effective H&S management were discovered, and these are consultants’ lack of H&S safety consideration, contractors’ lack of H&S safety consideration, poor adequate H&S data management, construction workers’ risky behaviour, contractors’ desire for profit, inadequate government legislation, and lack of adequate H&S training of the workforce. Finally, to improve H&S management in the Eswatini construction industry, three major strategies were discovered: promoting H&S from inception to completion, government support, and promotion of H&S insurance cover on construction projects. The findings of this study add value to the body of knowledge on the importance of construction health and safety management practices in developing countries, including the Eswatini kingdom. It raises awareness on the increase of company reputation, workers’ morale and delayed production that results from H&S neglecting. Finally, encourage the use of Health and Safety es in the construction industry by advertising the benefits of implementing and suggesting measures to improve the industry's health and safety performance.