Design and Construction of a Locally Fabricated Serigraphy Machine for Curve/Flat Printing Substrates (Published)

The study aimed at designing and producing a serigraphy machine that prints on both curve and flat surfaces. Various methods of printing such as dye sublimation, heat transfer and screen printing are employed to print on fabric and other allied printing substrates in Nigeria. However, screen printing is one of the oldest forms of printing and one of the most popular method. The “Development of a Locally Fabricated Serigraphy Printer for Curve and Flat Surfaces” has become imperative. The sketches were made based on the conceptual idea and were later drawn with the aid 3D application software (Autodesk Fusion 360) installed in the computer system. The 3D drawings were used as guide to construct the serigraphy machine in the workshop. The machine which is manually operated comes with an adjustable squeegee, an adjustable metallic frame which holds the screen during printing, and a spring attached to the frame holder which holds the frame taut during printing without the aid of an assistant. The squeegee can be stationed and moved manually depending on whether the printing being done on curved or flat substrates. The Serigraphy Printer for Curve and Flat Surfaces is 602.5mm long, 450mm wide and 510mm high its size and weight afford for ease of carriage. The adjustable metallic frame which holds the frame can be adjusted to suit any screen size; ranging from (500mm by 350mm) to (300mm by 22.86m). The main findings of the study were that the objective of developing a serigraphy machine from locally sourced material, that prints on both curve and flat surfaces was realised, also it was discovered that the printing did not leave room for rough prints. The study concluded that by recommending that the “Serigraphy Printer for Curve and Flat Surfaces” is adopted by the local printers to enhance their occupation, and schools to aid teaching.

Keywords: Construction, Design, Development, Fabrication, screen printing, serigraphy, substrate

Risk and Safety Management in the Construction Industry: A Case of Tamale Metropolis, Northern Region (Published)

The paper examines the key factors that influence risk and safety performance of construction sites, the effects of accidents on construction site and the measures that will improve risk and safety performance on construction sites in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana. Three research questions were formulated. The study adopted descriptive research that is mixed methodology approach. The research instruments employed were self- administered questionnaires, interviews and observations which were used in collecting primary data from the selected construction firms. The population of the study was two hundred and thirty (230) selected individuals. They consist of site supervisors (60), site engineers (60), architect (30), consultants (20) and general foremen (60) in the Tamale Metropolis of Northern Region of Ghana. Interview guide were also sent out to reach thirty (30) Project Managers of the registered Ghanaian contractors and an observations were made in six (6) different project sites to get the right information about risk and safety management in the construction industry .Stratified random and non-proportional probability sampling techniques were employed for the study. The findings of the study on factors that influence risk and safety performance revealed some important factors which include; lack of implementation of mandatory PPE policy on site, inadequate and safe means of access to and from at workplaces, difficulties in accessing risk and safety records due to restricted working conditions, and less or no lighting in confine areas on site to ensure risk and safety management. The findings of the study also gave the effects of construction sites accidents and their consequences; on fatal accidents, day’s work is suspended, construction companies pay huge sums of compensation, some accidents lead to loss of lives. The study made some recommendations which, if adopted, will lead to significant improvements in the risk and safety performance of construction companies in Ghana.

Keywords: Construction, Project Performance, construction companies, construction risk, safety management