Construction project management expert Professor Emmanuel Adinyira has called for construction projects in Ghana to extend beyond delivering physical infrastructure and serve as platforms for empowering host communities with health, safety and environment (HSE) knowledge.
Speaking at his inaugural lecture on the theme “Beyond the Fence: Transferring Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Knowledge from Construction Sites to Host Communities,” Prof. Adinyira said safety practices rigorously enforced on project sites should be shared with surrounding communities to protect lives and build resilience.
He highlighted what he described as a paradox in Ghana’s construction sector: contractors operate under world-class safety standards within project boundaries, yet nearby residents remain exposed to hazards.
“Construction projects with high-class HSE compliance often leave people in the project’s geographical area unsafe and unaware. We build bridges but fail to connect with the people. We enforce protective equipment for workers, but we fail to raise awareness among families living near the site,” he said.
Adinyira’s research identified 26 hazards commonly managed on construction sites – including slips, burns, electrical accidents, poor ventilation and chemical exposure – that are also prevalent in homes and communities. While workers are protected by rules and equipment, he said, residents often lack the knowledge to guard against the same risks.
He argued that transferring HSE behaviours, rather than only managerial processes or technology, is both feasible and necessary. He proposed community safety demonstrations, greater use of media, and partnerships with schools, churches and traditional councils to spread awareness.
Adinyira urged policymakers and contractors to integrate HSE education into project delivery, called on the Public Procurement Authority to make community knowledge transfer a contractual requirement, and pressed Parliament to pass the long-delayed Occupational Safety and Health Bill.
“We need a new mindset, a change in our attitudes towards health, safety and the environment. Safety is not a gadget but a mindset,” he concluded.