Safety behavior in the laboratory among university students

Abstract

Managing laboratory safety at universities is critical due to a large number of laboratory accidents involving students that have been reported worldwide. This study primarily aimed to examine how safety knowledge and safety motivation directly affect safety behavior in laboratories among students. The study was based on a random sample of 361 undergraduates from five public universities in Malaysia. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) SmartPLS 3.3.2. The findings indicated that safety knowledge (β =.30, p <.001) and safety motivation (β =.15, p =.02) directly affected safety behavior among students in the laboratory. Furthermore, safety commitment mediated the relationship between safety knowledge (β =.13, p <.001) and safety motivation (β =.17, p <.001) on safety behavior among students in the laboratory. Safety commitment presented more substantial mediating effect compared to the direct effect of safety motivation and safety behavior. Accordingly, safety commitment was an essential element in enhancing safety motivation and safety behavior among students in the laboratory. These findings also affirmed that the combination of the subjective norm (safety motivation) and the intention (safety commitment) had a significant effect on safety behavior in the laboratory among students. In order to increase safety behavior in the laboratory, university managements should make continuous and concerted efforts through regulated guidelines to emphasize students' commitment. This highlights the importance of applying the theory of planned behavior-based educational approach and research intervention by the university stakeholders to enhance laboratory safety behavior among students. © 2020 Behavioral Science Research Institute.