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Implementing Vision Zero in Uganda’s Construction Industry
Vision Zero complements rather than replaces Uganda’s legal requirements and it is structured around seven Golden Rules though three of them are particularly important when considering its implementation in Uganda’s construction industry: leadership, competence and worker participation.
Introduction
Uganda’s construction industry is one of the country’s most dynamic and risk-intensive sectors. Its estimated 480,488 workers are potentially exposed to falls from height, falling objects, excavation and trenching hazards, machinery and equipment risks, electrical hazards, lifting operations, dust, noise, vibration, traffic and constantly changing workplace conditions.^1
These risks can be heightened by the involvement of multiple contractors and subcontractors, varying levels of worker competence, and pressure to complete projects within limited time and budgets.
The National Labour Force Survey 2021 estimated that, of Uganda’s 20.5 million working persons, 35% were exposed to dust, fumes or chemicals, while 25% were exposed to dangerous tools.^1
Against this background, the Vision Zero approach provides a practical framework for strengthening occupational safety and health (OSH) in construction. It is based on the principle that occupational injuries, diseases and work-related harm can and should be prevented through effective leadership, systematic risk management, competent people and meaningful worker participation.
Vision Zero and Uganda’s OSH Framework
Vision Zero complements rather than replaces Uganda’s legal requirements.
The country’s principal OSH legislation is the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Cap 231 (as amended in 2025), administered by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health.^2 Uganda also has specific OSH requirements and guidelines relating to building operations and engineering construction, while the Building Control Act, Cap 136 provides an additional framework for safe and properly regulated building development.^2
At international level, Vision Zero is consistent with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.^3 These include the Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167),^4 which specifically addresses occupational safety and health in construction.
The broader Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 187) also provide benchmarks for developing preventive OSH systems.^3
The Seven Golden Rules
Vision Zero is structured around seven Golden Rules.^5 Three are particularly important when considering its implementation in Uganda’s construction industry: leadership, competence and worker participation.
1. Leadership and Management Commitment
Vision Zero must start at the top.
Clients, directors, senior managers, project managers and contractors make decisions that directly influence construction safety.
For example, a client who insists on an unrealistic completion deadline or selects a contractor purely on the basis of the lowest price may inadvertently create conditions that encourage unsafe practices.
Conversely, clients who include OSH requirements in procurement, provide adequate resources and monitor safety performance demonstrate that safety is a fundamental project requirement.
Management commitment should therefore be demonstrated through decisions, resources and behaviour, not merely through safety policies or posters.^5
OSH should also be viewed as a business investment. Construction companies should integrate it into project planning, procurement, budgeting, contractor selection and performance monitoring.
Serious incidents can result in fatalities and injuries, project delays, equipment damage, compensation costs, legal consequences, loss of skilled workers and reputational damage. Investment in prevention therefore contributes to productivity, business continuity and overall project performance.
2. Competence Development
Workers in Uganda enter the construction industry through different routes, including formal technical education, apprenticeships and workplace experience. Vision Zero requires competence to be developed throughout a worker’s career.
This should begin in technical, vocational and engineering institutions, where OSH should form part of professional and technical competence.
Within companies, new workers should receive appropriate induction before starting work. Additional training should be provided when new machinery, materials, technologies or work methods are introduced, or when workers are transferred to unfamiliar tasks.
Construction sites should also use regular toolbox talks and practical site-based discussions to address emerging risks.^6
Competence should not be equated simply with holding a certificate. A competent worker should possess the knowledge, practical skills and experience necessary to identify hazards, understand risks and apply appropriate preventive measures.
Supervisors and managers must also be competent because they are responsible for directing work and ensuring that safety controls are actually implemented.
3. Worker Participation
Workers are essential partners in prevention and are often the first to identify hazards because they interact directly with the workplace, machinery and work processes.
A mason may identify an unsafe scaffold. An equipment operator may detect a mechanical problem. An electrician may identify a dangerous temporary electrical installation.
Workers should therefore be involved in OSH decision-making, risk assessment, toolbox talks, safety committees and discussions concerning major changes in work methods or equipment.
They should have genuine opportunities to raise concerns, suggest improvements and contribute to risk control.
This approach also encourages a shift away from automatically blaming workers after incidents.
Instead of asking only why a worker failed to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), management should also examine whether the PPE was provided, whether it was appropriate for the task, whether the worker was trained and supervised, and whether the organisational culture tolerated unsafe behaviour.
Managing Risks in a Changing Construction Environment
Construction hazards are dynamic.
The risks present during excavation may be very different from those encountered during structural works, roofing, electrical installation or finishing. Risk assessment must therefore be continuous.
Particular attention should be given to coactivity or simultaneous operations, where different contractors and work teams undertake activities at the same time.
For example, lifting operations may be taking place while workers operate below, electrical work is undertaken nearby, and vehicles move materials through the site. Each activity may appear controlled individually, yet their interaction can create serious risks.
Regular coordination meetings, toolbox talks, site inspections, permit-to-work systems and task-specific risk assessments can help manage these risks.
From Compliance to a Culture of Prevention
Compliance establishes the minimum requirements. Vision Zero encourages organisations to go further by making prevention part of everyday management.
Construction companies can begin by assessing their existing OSH systems against Uganda’s legal requirements and the seven Vision Zero Golden Rules.^2,5
They can then establish clear objectives, strengthen risk assessment, improve worker competence, enhance worker participation and monitor performance.
Importantly, organisations should measure not only accidents and injuries but also leading indicators, including:
workers inducted;
risk assessments completed;
hazards reported and corrected;
safety inspections conducted;
machinery inspected;
corrective actions closed; and
workers participating in safety activities.
These indicators provide a clearer picture of whether prevention is being actively managed before an incident occurs.
Conclusion
Vision Zero provides Uganda’s construction industry with a practical framework for strengthening occupational safety, health and wellbeing.
Successful implementation requires a shift from treating safety as the responsibility of the safety officer alone to recognising it as a shared management responsibility involving clients, designers, contractors, subcontractors, supervisors and workers.
No construction project should be so urgent, expensive or important that a worker’s life, health or well-being becomes an acceptable cost of doing business.
References
National Labour Force Survey 2021.
Government of Uganda legal and regulatory information.
International Labour Organization conventions, protocols and recommendations.
ILO Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167).
Vision Zero Seven Golden Rules: Take Leadership; Identify Hazards; Define Targets; Ensure a Safe and Healthy System; Use Safe and Healthy Machines and Equipment; Improve Qualification; Invest in People.
A toolbox talk is a short, focused workplace OSH discussion held before or during an activity to identify task-related hazards, discuss required controls and reinforce safe working practices.
