Investigating Safety Behavior, Accidents, and Safety Standards: The Role of Strategic Design and Education in Enhancing Laboratory Safety
Keywords:
Laboratory Safety, Safety Non-compliance, Physical Hazards, Chemical Hazards, Safety Management SystemAbstract
This study aims to analyze unsafe behaviors and examine their association with laboratory accident occurrence by comparing physical and chemical safety behaviors among first-year science students at Chandrakasem Rajabhat University. A mixed-method research design was employed with a sample of 111 participants. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, behavioral observation checklists, and self-reported accident experience records. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used for data analysis at a significance level of 0.05.
The findings indicated a high level of compliance with chemical safety standards, with 96.4% of students avoiding the use of expired chemicals and 81.1% properly storing chemicals. However, inconsistencies were observed in physical safety behaviors. Specifically, 59.5% of students reported inconsistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and 40.5% admitted to using mobile phones during laboratory experiments. The Chi-square analysis revealed a statistically significant association between unsafe physical behaviors and laboratory accident occurrence (χ² = 6.841, df = 1, p = 0.009), whereas unsafe chemical behaviors were not significantly associated with accidents (χ² = 1.152, p = 0.283). These results demonstrated a structural distinction between chemical safety compliance and physical safety behaviors. Strategic design components—such as spatial layout planning, hazard zoning, safety signage, and emergency evacuation routes—were found to strongly support chemical safety compliance. In contrast, improving physical safety behaviors required behavioral reinforcement through practice-oriented training, structured supervision, and integration within the institutional Safety Management System. The findings could inform the development of laboratory design guidelines, behavior-focused safety training curricula, and PPE monitoring tools to enhance the sustainability of laboratory safety systems in higher education contexts.
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