An Evaluation of Safety Hazards and Risks in Pipeline Construction Projects: A Niger-Delta Perspective

This study aimed identify the key safety hazards and risks associated with pipeline construction projects in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. A descriptive survey, consisting of quantitative research design method of investigation was adopted, while a purposive and proportionate stratified sampling techniques was used to select the sample size from a population of 1000 practitioners operating in some pipeline construction firms/projects in Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states of the Niger Delta, region. The data collection and survey instrument included a well-structured questionnaire, personal observations and visits to pipeline construction project sites to elicit information. The collected data was presented using frequency distribution in the form of charts via IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0 and programmed software. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) method was used to analyze the objective of the study. A study of 301 respondents who were involved in pipeline construction project-related activities revealed that the key safety hazards and risks associated with pipeline construction projects include in this order; excavation and trenching; chemical, fire and explosions; climate and weather-induced challenges; vandalism and theft; human error and unsafe acts; poor safety culture and leadership; inconsistent regulatory framework; and poor environmental impact assessment (EIA). The study recommends that the National Assembly needs to revise the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) to provide specifications on: mandatory safety cases of all major pipeline construction projects, policy makers to consider consolidating overlapping jurisdictions on regulatory authorities into one pipeline safety authority with clear mandates, sufficient resourcing, and enforcement authority.