INFLUENCE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON CONSTRUCTION PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN NIGERIA'S BUILDING SECTOR

Health and safety (H&S) performance remains a persistent challenge in Nigeria's construction sector, where high accident rates, weak regulatory enforcement, and inconsistent safety practices continue to undermine project delivery. While several studies have examined accident causation and safety awareness, empirical evidence linking specific health and safety management practices to construction performance outcomes, such as cost efficiency, schedule adherence, and quality delivery, remains limited. This study investigates the influence of H&S practices on construction performance outcomes in Nigeria's building sector. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 396 construction professionals using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, reliability assessment, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that safety training, hazard communication, personal protective equipment (PPE) enforcement, and site supervision significantly predict project performance outcomes (R² = 0.67, p < 0.001). Site supervision emerged as the strongest predictor of project performance (β = 0.37), followed by safety training (β = 0.31). Results indicate that improving H&S practices has a direct positive effect on cost control, productivity, quality of workmanship, and timely project delivery. The study concludes that strengthening safety management systems is critical for enhancing construction performance in Nigeria. The paper recommends institutional enforcement of safety regulations, compulsory site safety audits, and integration of H&S performance indicators into contractor prequalification requirements.