Awareness and Compliance with Health and Safety Guidelines among University Students

Abstract

Health and safety practices in university laboratories are critical for ensuring student well-being and preparing future professionals for risk-sensitive environments. This study examines university students’ levels of health and safety awareness, compliance with laboratory protocols, and perceptions of the safety climate, with the aim of understanding how these dimensions interact within an educational context. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 144 undergraduate students enrolled in laboratory-based programmes. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlation analysis. The findings indicate that students demonstrate generally high levels of health and safety awareness (M = 4.08), compliance (M = 3.94), and positive perceptions of the safety climate (M = 4.04) . Gender comparisons revealed that female students scored slightly higher across all domains, with a statistically significant difference observed only in safety climate perception (p = 0.025). No significant differences were found between students from different academic entry pathways. Importantly, strong positive correlations were identified among awareness, compliance, and safety climate (r = 0.750–0.801), indicating that these constructs operate as an interconnected system rather than independent factors. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a conceptual framework that integrates cognitive (awareness), behavioural (compliance), and perceptual (safety climate) dimensions of safety practices. The findings suggest that effective safety management in university laboratories should adopt a holistic approach that combines knowledge development, behavioural reinforcement, and supportive environmental conditions. While the results highlight the effectiveness of current institutional practices, the relatively modest effect sizes indicate that continuous and multifaceted interventions are required to sustain improvements in safety behaviour. Overall, this study offers both theoretical and practical insights into the development of safety culture in higher education, providing a foundation for future research and policy enhancement in laboratory safety management.