Determination of University Students’ Laboratory Safety Awareness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Based on four types of laboratory safety questions (chemical, biological, physical, and medical), a cross-sectional survey of students at Kunming University of Science and Technology (China) was carried out to determine the awareness of laboratory safety among university students. The survey was completed by 335 students in total, with a response rate of 95.71%. GHS pictograms, attitudes toward lab safety, practices for lab safety, and emergency equipment and procedures were all covered in the survey. The survey's findings showed that 63.58% of students did not have an excellent awareness of laboratory safety. With mean scores of 2.56 and 2.20, respectively, the student's ability to identify GHS pictograms and laboratory emergencies was poor. In addition, close to 5% of students maintained a negative attitude toward laboratory safety, and a small number of students (1.79−6.27%) reported never having complied with any of the measures in the questionnaire regarding laboratory safety practices. Comparative analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between different majors, whether they had experienced laboratory safety training and some survey questions (p < 0.05), and further identified factors and odds ratio values (5.382−8.037) that influence students' awareness of laboratory safety. Based on the results of the research, specific recommendations for instructors, university administrators, and the government are also given to improve university students' awareness of laboratory safety.

An Assessment of Laboratory Safety Training in Undergraduate Education

“…Over the course of the next decade, it became clear that CHEM 701 students had highly variable safety training experiences as undergraduates. Although several surveys have been conducted to assess various elements of chemical safety knowledge of undergraduates, − we were unable to identify any studies that focused on students who planned to earn doctoral degrees in the chemical sciences.…”

“…This work sought to uncover how pervasively educational safety principles and cultural expectations have been incorporated into the academic chemistry curriculum. A number of surveys have been conducted worldwide to assess compliance with safety standards and measure students’ understanding of the rudimentary elements of safer laboratory behavior. − Most of these surveys reached similar conclusions: there is insufficient compliance with accepted best practices for safety in academic laboratories, as exemplified by the inconsistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and an indifferent attitude toward laboratory safety practices. For the most part, it remains unclear why poor attitudes exist and, in particular, where the failures are exacerbated.…”