ASSESSING EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON CONSTRUCTION SITES IN THE KUMASI METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT 

To achieve greater efficiency on projects have been of tremendous concern to stakeholders of the construction industry in Ghana which equipment handling practices cannot be left out in such a quest. The study sought to examine equipment management practices on construction sites using Kumasi Metropolis as the case study. The researcher adopted convenience sampling technique in selecting a sample size of 314 (equipment managers, contractors and employees) out of which 297 responded. Questionnaire, interview and observation served as the main data collection instrument for the study. Most construction firms use Equipment for purpose which they were designed without deviations and the operators wear protective clothing whiles on site and during operations. The most practiced methods of acquiring Equipment in the Kumasi Metropolis by the construction firms are outright buying and hiring. Findings from the study indicate lack of capital was an immense contributing factor that hinders the management of Equipment on site. Equipment Accidents were found to have resulted in decrease in the productivity of the construction firms and increasing the cost of work such as operational and maintenance cost. In order to improve lifespan of Equipment on construction sites, effective maintenance practice systems should be adopted by firms. Professional bodies and state institutions like Environmental Protection Agency should be equipped well to train more personnel who would in turn educate and monitor construction firms in maintaining safety standards in their operations to minimize or prevent accidents.