Profiling the Environmental Management Practices on Construction Sites in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Construction site activities are associated with negative impacts on the environment and construction companies are expected to mitigate these impacts using environmental management practices (EMP) on their sites based on ISO 14001 requirements .However in Nigeria where the construction industry is not regulated, it is imperative to explore if the contractors are ISO 14001 compliant. A systematic random sampling was used to select one hundred and twenty (120) site managers in Lagos state of Nigeria; out of which seventy-three (73) responded. The results of the analysis showed that, none of the construction managers were aware of their companies’ environmental management policy, but the three most prevalent environmental management practices (EMP) on construction sites were displaying of posters, inspection by management, planning and organizing site environment in rank order. It was also discovered that, the type of project, availability of a clear company policy on EMP and management attitude towards environmental issues were the most prevalent influential factors that necessitated the adoption of a particular EMP on site. The study therefore recommended that construction companies should be mandated to develop an environmental management plan for project site.

Keywords: Construction, environmental management practice, Nigeria